Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir took his first Test wicket in six years when be bowled England captain Alastair Cook at Lord’s on Friday.
Amir was making his return to Test cricket at the scene of his 2010 spot-fixing episode, which saw him given a five-year ban and a jail term for deliberately bowling no balls during that year’s Lord’s Test against England.
The 24-year-old paceman suffered the frustration of seeing fellow left-hander Cook dropped off his bowling by slip Mohammad Hafeez and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed when the opener was on 22 and 55 respectively.
Photo: AP
However, with Cook in sight of a hundred on the second day of the first of the four-Test series, Amir took the fielders out of the equation by inducing Cook to play on for 81, sparking his trademark arms outstretched celebration.
“Why did it take Pakistan so long to bowl full and wide to Cook?” said former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott, commentating on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.
Cook, always a prize wicket for any opposition bowler, had suggested before this match that if it were down to him, all fixers, including Amir, would be banned for life.
Photo: Reuters
However, the England skipper added that as Amir had “served his time” he had “no problems” in playing against him in the series.
Cook had also said that Amir might get a rough ride from English crowds.
A few jeers when he walked out to bat apart, Amir was treated respectfully by a capacity crowd at Lord’s.
“Yes Mohammad was nervous today if I’m honest with you, but we can all understand that,” said Mushtaq Ahmed, a member of Pakistan’s coaching staff. “I want to say thank you to all the crowd. The Lord’s crowd have been very good for him.”
“I think they just want to see a good cricketer playing top cricket,” the former Pakistan leg-spinner added.
By dismissing Cook, Amir had taken his first wicket in a Test match since he dismissed England’s Graeme Swann on his way to figures of 6-84 in an innings and a 225-run defeat for Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010 — a result overshadowed by the spot-fixing scandal.
He ended the day with a return of 1-65 in 18 overs.
It was leg-spinner Yasir Shah who did the damage with 5-64 as England reached stumps on 253-7 — 86 runs behind Pakistan’s first innings of 339.
Amir struggled for line and length early in his spell on Friday, but became increasingly effective as the sunny skies gave way to swing-friendly gray clouds.
Cook, on 22, was drawn forward by an excellent delivery only for first slip Hafeez to drop the straightforward catch.
It was a similar story when Cook on 55 again edged Amir, but Sarfraz Ahmed floored the two-handed chance.
Amir screamed in frustration before sharing a wry smile with Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who gave the bowler a consoling pat on the back.
Earlier on Friday, Amir inside-edged his first ball back in Test cricket, from Stuart Broad, for four.
Next ball he was hit on the helmet as he ducked into a Broad delivery.
Amir also hit two well-struck boundaries before he was last man out for 12.
England were bowled out before lunch yesterday for 272, a deficit of 67 on the first innings.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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