Mohammad Amir’s dig at Rohit Sharma on ‘just a normal bowler’ charge

Mohammad Amir has always shown a knack of doing well against India since making a comeback in 2016, from a five-year ban for involving in spot-fixing. The recent occasion being the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final when he dismissed three top batsmen - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. It helped Pakistan win the title. But cut to 2016, Rohit Sharma had a not-so-positive thing to say about the Pakistani player. After the left-arm pacer had dismissed him in a 2016 T20 Asia Cup match, Rohit said he was not a special bowler. “There is just so much hype around him, I don’t think it is right to give him too much hype after one match. He is good but he needs to prove it over and over again. Now people are comparing him to Wasim Akram and all that. He is just a normal bowler, on that given day if he is good, he is good. It is not as if he turns up and blows everyone away,” Rohit Sharma had said. “Stop talking about him already. He isn’t the only bowler, Pakistan have five other bowlers who are doing well for them.” ‘Never worry about what others say’ Mohammad Amir has finally reacted to the comment. In an interview to Sky Sports, Amir said that he doesn’t bother too much about others opinion. “It’s not my concern at all and I just concentrate on my performances and what I am doing for my team. If I worried about other people’s opinions of me, that would just cause me stress and that is why I avoid it,” he said. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether it’s labelling a cricketer world-class or ordinary; it is up to that individual.” He added that he respects Rohit as a batsman. “That was his opinion about me and he is entitled to that opinion. Maybe his opinion about me has now changed. But let’s get one thing clear, I would never call him an ordinary batsman,” Mohammad Amir said. “In fact, I would call him an extraordinary batsman. His record for India is superb and I respect him. His opinions about other cricketers are up to him, but with all due respect I never worry about what other cricketers have to say about me.” Mohammad Amir, along with fast bowler Mohammad Asif and former skipper Salman Butt, were found guilty of corruption in the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan in August 2010 by an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal in February 2011. Since his return to international cricket last year, Mohammad Amir has taken 43 wickets in 14 Tests during a mixed period for Pakistan’s Test side.