Mohammad Amir: Pakistan paceman to quit red-ball cricket with Essex after T20 extension
- Published
Mohammad Amir's contract extension with Essex will also include his final game of red-ball cricket, starting against Kent on Sunday
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has extended his short-term deal to cover Essex's last four T20 group games.
Amir, who has played in four of Essex's T20 Blast matches, has now been made available for the games with Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent.
He will also be Essex's overseas player for the County Championship Division One game starting with Kent on Sunday.
Having just retired from Test cricket with Pakistan, this will be the final red-ball game of Amir's career - at 27.
"Mohammad agreed to play in this County Championship fixture before announcing his retirement from Test cricket," said Essex head coach Anthony McGrath.
"We're really grateful that he has followed through on his promise given the circumstances. He'll give us the extra dimension as a left-armer and is a great replacement for Peter Siddle, who has now gone to play for Australia in the Ashes."
Following their third successive rain-off against Glamorgan on Friday, Essex are eighth in their T20 Blast group, probably needing to win all of their final four games to stand a chance of making the last eight.
Amir's truncated first-class career
Amir lost five years of his cricketing prime after being jailed for his part in a spot-fixing scam during the 2010 Test series in England.
He was banned from cricket for five years and ended up being out of Test cricket for six years.
Following his return to Tests in England in 2016, he has played 22 more times for his country, taking his haul of wickets to 119 in 36 matches, but he never once represented Pakistan in his own country.
Of those 36 games, 32 were on away trips and the four home games were all played in the United Arab Emirates.
Amir featured three times for Essex in their title-winning 2017 County Championship Division One campaign, as Ryan ten Doeschate's side went on to claim the title for the first time in 25 years.
The left-armer took 14 wickets at an average of 13.50, including best figures of 5-18 against Yorkshire at Scarborough.
- Published8 February 2019
