Amir shines against Royals in BPL

Khulna fast-bowler Mohammad Amir has said that bowling in the right areas has paid him handsomely in the high-octane clash against Rajshahi Royals in qualifier-1 of the Akash DTH Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The Pakistani quickie stunned everyone with his jaw-dropping performance that was not only his career best, but also the best in the history of the BPL. Khulna Tigers stormed into the final because of his superlative performance.

“When you bowl under lights, you’ve got to look for swing. I kept bowling in the right areas and it paid off,” said Amir, who grabbed six wickets by tearing through the top and middle order of the Royals.

“There was something in the wicket for bowlers. Both their openers were in good touch. So, I thought if I could remove them, we’ll have a good chance to win,” Amir told the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur after his feat against Rajshahi on Monday.

Amir showered praise on Nazmul Hossain Shanto who played an outstanding innings, following his spellbinding century in the previous match, which actually played an important role to secure their comfortable triumph.

“Credit goes to the batsmen as it wasn’t easy for them to post a defendable score on the board. There was a little bit of movement for the bowlers,” the left-arm quickie said.

“I must thank Shanto for the way he played. The batsmen gave us a decent total to defend,” he added.

When asked to compare his BPL performance with his Champions Trophy performance, Amir said that performance was special for him. His performance against India helped them  beat their arch-rival India and helped his team lift the crown of the Champions Trophy for the first time.

“The performance in ICC Champions Trophy was a bit special for me because we beat India for the first time in that version of cricket,” the 27-year-old pacer said.

“This one is also special. After all, it's my career-best figure. But you can’t compare the two performances: the Champions Trophy match was a 50-over game, while this is a 20-over game,” he also said.

“That was an international game and this is a league match. But emotions remain the same. I always give my best whether I’m playing an international game or a league match,” he added.

The fast bowler also said luck played a role especially in Twenty20 cricket. “I believe in fortune because even if you bowl well, you may not get a wicket. At other times, you get a wicket off a full toss or wide. You need luck in T20 cricket,” he said.

The fast-bowler, who retired from Test cricket to prolong his career in the shorter format, billed Shoaib Malik as a dangerous batsman. He said he had bowled the first three overs in two spells in keeping with the team’s plan because Malik could be dangerous towards the end.

“I had bowled three overs in two spells. The plan was to come to bowl again on the 17th or 18th over because Shoaib Malik is a swashbuckling batsman. He played a lot of T20 cricket and has vast experience,” Amir explained.

 

Amir shines against Royals in BPL

Khulna fast-bowler Mohammad Amir has said that bowling in the right areas has paid him handsomely in the high-octane clash against Rajshahi Royals in qualifier-1 of the Akash DTH Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The Pakistani quickie stunned everyone with his jaw-dropping performance that was not only his career best, but also the best in the history of the BPL. Khulna Tigers stormed into the final because of his superlative performance. When you bowl under lights, youve got to look for swing. I kept bowling in the right areas and it paid off, said Amir, who grabbed six wickets by tearing through the top and middle order of the Royals. There was something in the wicket for bowlers. Both their openers were in good touch. So, I thought if I could remove them, well have a good chance to win, Amir told the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur after his feat against Rajshahi on Monday. Amir showered praise on Nazmul Hossain Shanto who played an outstanding innings, following his spellbinding century in the previous match, which actually played an important role to secure their comfortable triumph. Credit goes to the batsmen as it wasnt easy for them to post a defendable score on the board. There was a little bit of movement for the bowlers, the left-arm quickie said. I must thank Shanto for the way he played. The batsmen gave us a decent total to defend, he added. When asked to compare his BPL performance with his Champions Trophy performance, Amir said that performance was special for him. His performance against India helped them beat their arch-rival India and helped his team lift the crown of the Champions Trophy for the first time. The performance in ICC Champions Trophy was a bit special for me because we beat India for the first time in that version of cricket, the 27-year-old pacer said. This one is also special. After all, its my career-best figure. But you cant compare the two performances: the Champions Trophy match was a 50-over game, while this is a 20-over game, he also said. That was an international game and this is a league match. But emotions remain the same. I always give my best whether Im playing an international game or a league match, he added. The fast bowler also said luck played a role especially in Twenty20 cricket. I believe in fortune because even if you bowl well, you may not get a wicket. At other times, you get a wicket off a full toss or wide. You need luck in T20 cricket, he said. The fast-bowler, who retired from Test cricket to prolong his career in the shorter format, billed Shoaib Malik as a dangerous batsman. He said he had bowled the first three overs in two spells in keeping with the teams plan because Malik could be dangerous towards the end. I had bowled three overs in two spells. The plan was to come to bowl again on the 17th or 18th over because Shoaib Malik is a swashbuckling batsman. He played a lot of T20 cricket and has vast experience, Amir explained.