Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis on Tuesday said he has moved on from the hurt caused by Mohammad Amir’s Test retirement last year and considers the pacer a crucial part of the national team’s plans going forward.
Having initially pulled out due to the birth of his second child, Amir made himself available for next month’s T20 series against England on Monday. Waqar welcomed him back and touched upon the anger he felt at Amir’s Test retirement ahead of a tour of Australia last year.
“Amir remains part of our plans for the future as he is experienced. We want to utilise him if he is up to the mark, if he can win matches for Pakistan. Next year we have the World Cup,” Waqar said in an online media interaction.
“It hurt at that time when he decided to retire from Test cricket but we have to move on and do what is best for the country,” he added.
Waqar defended the decision to call Amir to join the squad in England to replace Haris Rauf.
“We called Amir because he is part of our white ball cricket plans. And if we felt this was the ideal opportunity to assess all our bowlers going forward. It is not about this series but also about future commitments including the World Cups coming up,” Waqar said.
“We want to see how he is bowling as we want to get a fair idea of which bowlers to take forward and assess them all,” he added.
Pakistan will take on England in a Test and T20 series next month.
Waqar admitted that he and head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq were upset when Amir announced his sudden retirement from Test cricket last year as both felt he was required on the tour to Australia.
“We were not happy but bringing him back I think is a positive move. The young bowlers will learn from him. We are clear in our mind no bowler is indispensable for the team.
“But I think his presence will help in the competition among the pace bowlers in the training camp in England,” he added.
Waqar also rejected suggestions that it was difficult for a fast bowler to compete in all formats given the workload.
“I just look at this way if a bowler is fit, strong and loves taking wickets. He can play all the time. But I guess this is an individual decision,” he said.
- Slow pitches -
The legendary bowler said the ongoing England-West Indies series has shown that the pitches at Southampton and Manchester are now slow and sluggish.
“We will see how the pitch behaves in the third Test between West Indies and England at Manchester but there is no doubt that the behaviour of pitches has changed in England,” he said.
“Early to say who will play but we have got an idea after the WI test matches. We are trying to prepare those players who can be effective on such pitches. We are looking at all option look at weather as well it gets hot in August and we might even have to think about playing two spinners as well,” he added.
The former pacer said the team management will keep an eye on the third Test as well.
Pakistan’s first Test against England begins from August 5 at Manchester.
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