Aamir said that he has previously beaten all the top players of the world of his time and is confident that he can do it again. PHOTO: AFP
Fast-forward to 2015, the 24-year-old has been sidelined by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) along with fellow senior player and former world number 16 Farhan Mehboob.
A good two years of Aamir’s career were blighted by a clash of egos and poor management, resulting not only in a big drop in his ranking but also halting the potential turnaround of squash in the country.
“After Jansher, if any player has delivered the most titles for Pakistan then it’s me, but I haven’t been treated fairly by the PSF,” Aamir told The Express Tribune. “Apart from Jahangir and Jansher, I’m the only one who has received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in squash, but still I was overlooked despite being in prime form.”
The Peshawar-born player also rued the less than fitting treatment he received after his success at the continental level. “I became the first Asian champion from Pakistan after 14 years but the federation treated me as if I was a new player in the circuit and asked me to appear in camps to prove myself on a daily allowance of Rs120,” he said.
The biggest surprise emerged recently when the PSF decided to ignore Aamir for the Asian Championship where he was to defend his title. The federation wanted him to prove himself in the trials, while Aamir pointed out that a defending champion should not be required to undergo trials and should rather be selected automatically. In the end, the PSF chose to send a national contingent without him.
“I was kept away from the Asian championship and Pakistan lost the title. None of the players were able to even make it to the final,” said Aamir.
The former world number 14 added that it would be better for squash’s cause if the PSF officials concentrated on the game’s restoration back to its glory days instead of working on strengthening their friendly relations with each other.
Aamir has won gold and silver medals at the Asian Games, two Asian team championships, Asian Individual Squash Championship, Pakistan Open and several Professional Squash Association (PSA) tournaments in his career.
He is the nephew of the legendary Jansher, who had once supported a ban of two years on the player in 2011 for allegedly failing to abide by the federation’s code of conduct.
Aamir confident he can break into top six
Aamir said that he has previously beaten all the top players of the world of his time and is confident that he can do it again. Despite languishing in 69th place in the world rankings, he vowed that he could break into the top six in two years if the PSF helps him play PSA competitions.
“I can’t improve my ranking if the PSF doesn’t support me,” explained Aamir. “If the PSF gives me in writing today that they will send me to 14 PSA tournaments in a year, I will definitely get back into the top 20 in 12 months, and in another year’s time, I’ll be in the top six players of the world. I need the federation’s support.”
Aamir claimed that he can bring laurels to the country if he is given as many chances as being bestowed on the current players. “I still firmly believe that I can deliver the World Open title as well. I urge the PSF to invest in me, just like they have invested in others and then see the results themselves.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2015.
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