Waqar Younis hails 'match-winner' Amir

Former Pakistan Head Coach Waqar Younis has backed left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, ahead of the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in England and Wales.

Younis believes that Amir, who was later inclusion in the Pakistan squad for the mega event, can be a match-winner for the Men in Green during the tournament. 

“I am intrigued to see how Mohammad Amir gets on,” said Younis according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board. “He is a match-winner, there is no doubt about that. If he gets some rhythm back, then he could be the difference for Pakistan.”

He added: “On the flip side, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain are so talented and have long futures ahead of them. I am excited to see what they can do.”

The Pakistan bowling great was also satisfied with the performance of batsmen, with the tournament fast approaching.

“The positive for Pakistan is that they have started scoring big totals. They have showed they are capable of scoring 300 plus and we saw that in their series against England,” he said. “The batsmen have got used to the surfaces very quickly and have piled on the runs. They are all in good form, especially Babar Azam and Haris Sohail. Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq have also done well so the top four looks really good. That issue has been solved.”

The former right-arm pacers, who was known for his lethal toe-crushers, was concerned about the team’s fielding but hoped that they will get better in the near future. 

“But the biggest issue for me is the fielding. I am sure that will get a bit better but if the fielders don’t take their chances and catch balls and stop the extra 15 or 20 runs then they could struggle. The fielders looked out of sorts in the series against England and that could shake their confidence,” he said.

The 47-year-old also spoke about the importance of starting the tournament on a good note.  

“I think Pakistan arrive as underdogs and they need to start well. If they lose a couple of early games, then it will be an uphill task for them after that,” he said. “If they don’t start well then the negativity from series defeats to England and Australia could seep back in. They have been losing a few games and need to win early so settle nerves.”