Azhar Mahmood points out issues in Amir’s bowling

Pointing out Mohammad Amir’s bowling issues, Pakistan team’s bowling coach Azhar Mahmood said the bowler needs to strike more with the new ball.

In an interview, former Pakistan all-rounder said, “Currently, there is a slight issue with Amir’s wrist position that we are looking to fix and hopefully, with this month-long break before our next assignment, he will come back as a different and more effective bowler.”

“As we know, Amir had some fitness issues during the tour of Ireland and England, but he improved after being treated by our physiotherapist. With that help, he was able to play all three Tests but the fact is that in his case, there is still hard work to be done to improve his fitness,” he said.

"We have to remember that he has come back into international cricket after an absence of five years and we are all working hard to improve his fitness," Azhar added.

Commenting on Amir’s bowling skills, he said there is no doubt about the quality of skills that Amir possesses and whilst he is very good with the older ball, what he really needs to do is to strike a bit more for us with the new ball.

Azhar admitted that he may have been a little unlucky with dropped catches off his bowling, but we do need him to be more effective at the top of the innings.

“If he can strike consistently with the new ball, then it eases the pressure on the other bowlers and allows them to perform well. Needless to say, Amir is working hard to improve his performances,” he added.