Pakistan chief selector Haroon Rasheed on Thursday backed the embattled Mohammad Amir, saying “there is always a difference between normal and extraordinary players”.
Rasheed's endorsement of Amir is a clear sign the 23-year-old pacer will be included in the Pakistan team for its upcoming series against New Zealand.
“We are not undermining other players and forcing him [back] but there is always a difference between normal and extraordinary players. We are not axing anyone to bring him in. They are all part of the circuit and part and parcel of our planning,” Rasheed said while talking to ESPNcricinfo.
The chief selector said Amir's all-round ability had given him an edge over other players.
“It's not just his bowling but his all-round ability. He is good fielder and can bat with surety. Had he kept on playing in last five years he could have been developed into an established all-rounder. We have good bowlers but they are not known for their batting. I don't want to point to anyone, but we need our players to cover all the three dimensions of the game.”
The special mention for Amir was in sharp contrast to Rasheed's comments two months ago when he brushed aside the 23-year-old fast bowler's early return to the national side.
“Amir has to play more of first-class and domestic cricket for the selectors to consider his selection for international cricket,” he had said.
But with Amir now in the limelight and enjoying backing from all cricketing circles, including the 1992 World Cup winning captain Imran Khan and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) supremo Shaharyar Khan, the debate over his induction into the team has somewhat subsided.
Pakistan ODI skipper Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez's refusal to train alongside Amir in a national camp had threatened to divide the team but, according to the Khan the matter has been ‘resolved’.
The national team's dismal show in recent ODIs and T20s has clearly forced the PCB's hand into fast-tracking Amir's inclusion in the national side.
“Pakistan hasn't been really a bad ODI team,” Rasheed said.
“What has been hampering them is the fielding and fitness. Skill was never really a problem. So we want to pick a boy who has everything and as a selector we have seen something in him.”
Rasheed admitted that Pakistan did not have any “readymade back-up” sitting behind for Amir, despite having experimented with “tons of players” performing in the domestic circuit.
“We definitely have to digest failure and we are throwing our full confidence behind the players we have selected after extensive experimentation for almost an entire year. Realistically, we may be behind the rest of the cricketing world in ODIs but we have to stick with the boys and let them gain experience.”
