Pakistan’s Mohammed Amir has injury scare, but ‘he’s recovered very well’

Mohammed Amir appeared to hurt his knee fielding on Thursday, causing immediate worry of a serious injury, but he returned to play quickly and showed his effectiveness.

Pakistan's Mohammed Amir reacts after injuring his knee while fielding on Day 1 of the first Test against Australia on Thursday. Tertius Pickard / AP Photo / December 15, 2016

When Mohammed Amir was helped from the field, clutching his right knee, television commentators speculated about the Pakistan paceman being sidelined for the rest of the day-night Test against Australia.

Possibly even the three-match series.

A half-hour later, he was back on the Gabba limbering up. It was still in the third session, Day 1 of the first Test on Thursday. Not long after that, he was handed the second new ball and bowled a torrid first over with it against Australia captain Steve Smith.

And he really deserved a wicket, getting the slightest of outside edges when Smith was on 97 – except neither Amir nor his teammates appealed for the dismissal after failing to hear a nick or see a deflection.

It was a topsy-turvy day for the left-arm fast bowler.

Amir slid in the outfield attempting to prevent a boundary from Australia’s Peter Handscomb in the 70th over. He got up as the ball reached the boundary, and quickly slumped to the ground holding his knee. Amir was treated and taken from the field on a medical cart.

England fast bowler Simon Jones sustained a career-damaging knee injury while fielding in a similar area during an Ashes Test at the Gabba in 2002, sparking comparisons from analysts and speculation that Amir’s problem was serious.

He had troubled the Australians in the afternoon session and had figures of one or 22 from 13 overs, bowling a tight, consistent line and length to slow down the run-rate.

But just when things were looking bleak for Pakistan, Amir returned to play and was allowed to take the new ball, which he swung prodigiously under lights and had the Australians struggling.

“His knee went into the ground and we all feared it might be worse but, thank God, he recovered very quickly and came back and he’s feeling much, much better,” Pakistan opener Azhar Ali said. “The good thing, he came on and bowled with the second new ball, which is a very good sign.”

Amir was expected to have medical tests before play resumes Friday, but Azhar was confident his teammate would heal quickly despite limping slightly in his last spell and finishing the opening day with figures of one for 40 from 18 overs.

“He’s feeling OK. I don’t know how heavily he was strapped ... he must have had strapping,” Azhar said. “Definitely he’s recovered very well, and he’s feeling well.”

Amir is in his ninth Test back following an almost six-year absence for his role in a spot-fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket.

*Associated Press

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