‘Amir’s workload needs to managed’

Pacer Yasir Arafat says PCB needs to ensure pace spearhead is rested properly

Pakistani right-arm pacer Yasir Arafat has suggested to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to manage star fast-bowler Mohammad Amir’s work load in order to save him from dangerous physical exertion that may lead to injuries.

Mohammad Amir was excluded last month from the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka after he incurred an injury during the two-match Test series, and Arafat believes it was because he had just come back from playing four-day cricket for Essex.

“If Amir or any other bowler is to be used in Test matches, then the PCB will need to ensure that they do not play four-day county cricket games,” explained Arafat while talking to PakPassion. “Amir's playing schedule needs to be managed better by the PCB. I understand that playing in the county circuit is an important part of a player’s progress but it is pretty severe in physical aspects in terms of number of games that a professional is asked to play in a season with limited time to recover in between.”

The 35-year-old praised Amir for his exceptional run with Essex, but revealed that the stress on his body led to him breaking down in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

“Mohammad Amir performed brilliantly for Essex in the summer and helped them to a historic county title, but that caused strain on his body and we saw the effects of that in his breakdown in the second Test in Dubai where his energy levels were nowhere near what was expected of a top-class bowler,” added Arafat. “He is not the young fast-bowler which he was many years ago, and if he is to be an integral part of Pakistan’s Test squad in the future then he should not play the four-day version in England.”

Right-arm pacer added his services should only be made available to teams who want to hire him for shorter versions of the game.

“He can continue to take part in the shorter formats of the game at all levels but the longer format should be limited to a few games, and mostly to Tests for Pakistan,” he suggested. “It is Amir’s good fortune that there are no Test matches until May next year so he has plenty of time to recover but he is quite fantastic in the shorter forms of the game as we saw in the series against Sri Lanka. He will also be a handful for the opposition when Pakistan tour New Zealand where the bowling conditions will suit him just fine.”