ICC World Cup 2019 | Mohammad Amir trying not to look flashy has paid off, says Robin Uthappa
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Robin Uthappa has stated that Mohammad Amir has tried to keep it simple and just do what he is good at which has worked well for him in the ongoing World Cup. Uthappa went on to praise the bowler’s consistency and said that the lack of variations is actually helping the bowler’s performances.
Mohammad Amir first emerged as a bowler touted to become one of the world’s best, with his bowling pedigree and lethal style drawing comparisons with legendary figure Wasim Akram at the tender age of 17 when he made his international debut. However, he has since been involved in a major match-fixing scandal that saw him suspended for five years and has not been at his best ever since his return.
Post the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, Amir had been bowling at an average of 92.6 and had just five wickets in the 15 matches he played before the World Cup. However, since the start of the tournament, he already has 10 wickets in the three matches so far, including a five-wicket haul in the last match against Australia. Uthappa has applauded the pacer and stated that his persistence in this World Cup has been paid off.
“I think what he did really well, in this tournament what we have seen so far is that he has just really stuck to his basics and what works. He has made sure the ball is pitched up and that the batsman has to play most deliveries and is not leaving deliveries,” Robin Uthappa analysed about the performances of the 27-year-old on Cricbuzz Live.
Amir has a record of showing up for his country when it matters the most and was a crucial factor behind the Champions Trophy triumph in 2017, picking up the wickets of all the top three batsmen in the final against India, sending the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back to the pavillion early in the innings. This time around too, he has kept things simple, and things have hence worked in his favour so far.
“He is not trying to look flashy, he is just trying to be consistent with where he delivers the ball and those good areas have got him returns. I think the only real variation is the knuckleball he is bowling with which I think he got Khawaja or Shaun Marsh today. So he is not really stepping out of himself too much, he is staying very much within himself and being very disciplined with where he is pitching the ball on the pitch map,” Uthappa explained.
