Mohammed Amir: I have moved on from Pakistan - for now, at least

Fast bowler is focused on helping Desert Vipers to success in DP World ILT20

Mohammad Amir, left, and Shadab Khan chat during a Desert Vipers training session at ICC Academy in Dubai. All photos Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mohammad Amir has no immediate plans to return to international cricket and is focused instead on his franchise career.

Mohammad Amir is one of four Pakistani players recruited by Desert Vipers for the ILT20.

Shadab Khan prepares to bowl during a Desert Vipers training session.

Shadab Khan said he is trying to convince Mohammed Amir to reconsider a return to the Pakistan national team.

Shadab Khan believes the ILT20 will be a tough competition due to the number of international players.

Shadab Khan has recently recovered from an ankle injury to take part in the ILT20.

Azam Khan bats during a Desert Vipers training sessionat ICC Academy.

Desert Vipers players take part in a training session in Dubai.

Shadab Khan is set to make his ILT20 debut for Desert Vipers.

Shadab Khan says he has developed a strong bond with compatriot Mohammed Amir.

It would be easy to assume age and experience have wearied Mohammed Amir.

The left-arm fast bowler turns 32 in April. He has been out of international cricket for over three years, seemingly disaffected with the system in his homeland.

He is now a fully paid-up member of the franchise cricket global grand tour, picking up gigs to play short-form cricket and on the county circuit.

But if he is wandering from one destination to the next with no real direction or motivation beyond his paycheck, you would not know it from his demeanor in Dubai at present.

Of the four Pakistani players recruited by Desert Vipers for the DP World International League T20, he is the only one with no aspirations to play international cricket again.

Two, Shaheen Afridi and Azam Khan, have now arrived from national duty in New Zealand. The third, Shadab Khan, is fit again after an ankle injury.

If any were to complain of jet lag or tiredness, you get the impression their senior compatriot would not stand for it.

Amir has been there and done most things cricket has to offer already – good and bad – and yet remains full of zest. He is like an Energizer bunny – or at least one that runs on biofuel, given the Vipers’ commitment to sustainability.

He seems to be loving everything about being with the Vipers. He is thrilled to be part of a bowling attack which could be made up entirely of left-armers like him.

With players like Alex Hales and Colin Munro, they are in with a chance of winning the title, he reckons. The coach, his former Essex teammate James Foster, is a “gem of a bloke,” he says.

Every day is a school day – “it is fun, a learning process, you learn every day.” And now he is going to get the chance to play alongside some of his compatriots, too.

His childlike glee when discussing his game – “I have been practising my batting,” he says, with a broad grin – evokes happy memories of when he first turned up in this country and made himself a star.

Back then, over 14 years ago now, it was his batting that caught the attention first.

He captured the hearts of his nation with an extraordinary innings of 73 not out from No 10 in the batting order, and a share of a 103-run partnership for the 10th wicket with Saeed Ajmal. That nearly stole a one-day international against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.

Then, of course, there were the lost years. All of which makes his premature retirement from the international game seem all the more surprising. Surely he wants to eke out everything he can from his time in the game?

He says he is happy with where he is now, but the door is not entirely closed.

“At the moment, I have moved on,” Amir said, speaking at the Vipers’ team hotel this week. “I have different things in my life to do.

“Three years is a long period out of the international system. If you look at the Pakistan system right now, it is changing every single month, so you never know what is coming.

“After three years out, I don’t think it would be a sensible decision for me to come back. For now, at least. I don’t know what will happen in the next few years.”

He is not the first cricketer to have made a “conditional” international retirement, then U-turn when the administration changed and became more palatable to them.

Many presumed that might be the case for Amir. There has been upheaval in the game in Pakistan in recent months. People have moved on, but Amir is still not for turning.

Mohammed Hafeez, the new Pakistan team director, said last month that he has spoken to Amir but his mind is made up, and he has different priorities in life now.

Clearly, there must be a little opening there, and Shadab for one wants to force it.

“It has been a long time, maybe four years since playing with Amir-bhai, so I’m very excited because we have a different bond with each other,” Shadab said.

“I definitely wanted to play with him. Hopefully I impress him and hopefully [he will] come back to the Pakistan team.”

Shadab has already impressed Amir. They have a strong affinity for each other, with Amir suggesting Shadab’s arrival “completes” the Vipers team.

“We have a great allrounder,” he said of his young colleague. “I always believe he is a batting allrounder, but he claims he is a bowling allrounder. Now we have a complete team.”

After not being released to play last year, Shadab says he is confident of making a success of his debut campaign in the ILT20.

“I think this is a tough competition,” Shadab said. “In any league, wherever you go, you have more local players than international ones.

“But in this league, you have nine international players, so it is like playing an international game. I think it is going to be very difficult.

“You are playing against the best of the world. In other leagues you are playing against three or four international players, max, and the local players don’t have much experience.

“They might be good, but they don’t have experience. If you are raw, maybe you can perform well, but still, experience matters.”