Six years on from the infamous spot-fixing tour of England, Pakistan return to the country and are led in attack by Amir.
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The 24-year-old is back in England as part of Pakistan’s Test squad for the upcoming series and made a positive impression by snaring three scalps in his side’s warm-up match against Somerset at Taunton.
Amir was included in the Pakistan side selected for the Somerset match.
Two balls later Groenewald, born in the same South African town as former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, had Misbah out for a duck with the aid of a fine slip catch by Tim Rouse.
After Masood escaped a caught-and-bowled chance to Davey on 17, there was another lbw scare for Hafeez before he was apparently done for pace and bowled by the slippery Paul van Meekeren.
Somerset slumped to 128 all out in reply to Pakistan’s first innings 359 for eight declared – a deficit of 231 runs.
According to the highly placed sources close to the team-management in England, Jonathan Collett will look after the boys, and specially Mohammad Amir, who is likely to face some uncomfortable questions from media during this tour.
Mohammad Hafeez was on nought when he survived a confident lbw shout from Somerset and Scotland seamer Josh Davey.
Younis Khan hit an unbeaten 99 in a stand of 179 with Asad Shafiq as Pakistan recovered from 132 for four to finish on 324 for five.
“He swung the ball really late, that s the biggest thing we noticed”.
Better was to come after lunch, with Amir striking with the third ball after the break to dismiss Peter Trego with a ball delivered from around the wicket that pitched on middle and straighted to send the stump cartwheeling. If I work hard, the main aim for me is to be the world’s best bowler. That pushed his return to domestic matches six months prior to the lifting of his worldwide ban in September previous year. Despite suggestions from Alastair Cook, the England captain, that spectators might jeer Amir for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, there was nothing but polite applause as he came on to bowl. He hasn’t lost it. If anything, he’s just got better.
“Life was very tough and there were times I thought I might not be able to play again”, said Amir.
“Three of their players had been implicated but there were stories it was going to happen in the one-day series and allegations they’d fixed a game against Australia in Sydney”. The 41-year-old further said that spinner Yasir Shah would be a key weapon against England’s batsmen as the hosts have a history of struggling against high-class spinners.
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“We weren’t expecting to skittle them so early”.
