Mohammad Amir set to return to red-ball cricket, signs up with Gloucestershire for three matches

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir is set to make a surprising return to red-ball cricket. He has signed a short-term deal with Gloucestershire to play three matches in the ongoing County Championship replacing injured Naseem Shah who sustained a shoulder injury. Naseem has been ruled out until the start of the T20 Blast. Amir reached England on Thursday (April 21) and joined the squad in Manchester.

Interestingly, the left-arm pacer last played a red-ball game in August 2019 for Essex. Since then, he has preferred playing mostly in the leagues across the world having retired from international format already. Mohammad Amir was excited after signing up with Gloucestershire County and is looking forward to making his comeback in first-class cricket.

“The County Championship is an amazing competition and I can’t wait to get going with Gloucestershire. I love playing in English conditions and I’m feeling really good, so I hope I can perform well for the team,” Amir said according to ESPNCricinfo.

Gloucestershire’s performance director is delighted to sign a quality bowler like Amir

Meanwhile, Gloucestershire’s performance director Steve Snell was delighted to sign a quality bowler like Mohammad Amir for the side. He felt that the left-arm pacer’s international experience will certainly help Gloucestershire and will be a great addition to the squad. At the same time, the County side will also assist injured Naseem Shah in regaining his full fitness to make sure he is available for the T20 Blast.

“We are delighted to have signed a bowler of Amir’s caliber. We will sadly be without Naseem for a few weeks due to injury and while we help him get back to full fitness, Amir will provide us with quality and international experience in our seam attack for what is a strong first-division competition.

“Amir fits the bill perfectly for what we need and we’re confident he will be a great addition to the squad for those three matches. He has indicated his hunger and desire to make pivotal contributions during his time with us and we look forward to making him feel welcome in Bristol with Gloucestershire,” Snell said.