Umar Gul: Talented bowlers eye a spot if Amir reconsiders retirement.
Former cricketer Umar Gul shared his thoughts on Mohammad Amir decision to stop playing international cricket and his future comeback if he changes his mind.
Amir blamed Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis, the bowling coach and head coach, respectively, for “spoiling” his reputation in 2020, when he announced his decision to retire from international cricket at the age of 28.
Gul shared his shock at Amir choice in an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, emphasising the value of self-reflection and taking ownership of one actions when faced with difficulties in performance.
“When Amir announced his retirement from international cricket, I was taken a back. Players frequently experience difficulties when their performance is below par. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that you can’t always attribute your dismissal to a certain instructor or other aspect. Instead, it’s best to accept blame and hold oneself accountable, according to Gul.
“When you take responsibility for your mistakes, you have a chance to improve. Motivated by the challenge of performing better while teammates and coaches are excelling and demanding more from you, you work to develop even more. Your performance will ultimately improve if you accept these difficulties, he continued.
The former pacer also emphasised that there are other talented fast bowlers pushing for a spot in the team even if Amir decides to change his retirement decision.
When Hassan Ali or Mohammad Hasnain are unable to maintain their position in the team, he questioned, “if Amir decides to come out of retirement, whom would you bench for him?”
“There are already four or five dependable quick bowlers on the pitch. Everyone bowled well if we use a rotation approach similar to what we saw in the New Zealand series, where one bowler played three matches and then another bowler played the following two matches.
Yes, Ihsanullah elbow injury prevented him from receiving a fair chance. However, you cannot discount his abilities if you consider how well he performed in the PSL. Pakistan currently has a wide range of possibilities in the pace sector, he said.
