Mohammad Aamer      

Mohammad Aamer, a left-arm pace bowler, reveres Wasim Akram. Over 2007 and 2008, he also emerged, improbably young still, as a hot pace prospect. Even before he went to England on an U-19 tour, he had been picked out as a special talent by Akram himself at a pace camp he oversaw in Lahore in May 2007. Subsequently, his 4 for 30 helped Pakistan triumph in the third match of the one-day series against England in 2007, and he finished the series with eight wickets at 16.37 apiece. He had a great start to 2008, with two successive four-wicket hauls in Pakistan's win in the tri-nation tournament in Sri Lanka, involving the hosts and England. He ended with nine wickets ...

Mohammad Aamer, a left-arm pace bowler, reveres Wasim Akram. Over 2007 and 2008, he also emerged, improbably young still, as a hot pace prospect. Even before he went to England on an U-19 tour, he had been picked out as a special talent by Akram himself at a pace camp he oversaw in Lahore in May 2007. Subsequently, his 4 for 30 helped Pakistan triumph in the third match of the one-day series against England in 2007, and he finished the series with eight wickets at 16.37 apiece. He had a great start to 2008, with two successive four-wicket hauls in Pakistan's win in the tri-nation tournament in Sri Lanka, involving the hosts and England. He ended with nine wickets from three games at 11.22. He was set to star at the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia but his tournament was cut short by the dengue virus. But in 2009, his career really took off. He began with an impressive showing on the domestic circuit, impressing one and all with his whippy pace and swing. He took 55 wickets for National Bank of Pakistan in his debut season, and earned selection to the Pakistan World Twenty20 squad. There he hit the big time, taking over from an out-of-sorts Sohail Tanvir and bowling with pace, accuracy and courage. He hovered in the high 80mphs, touching even 90 on occasion and was a crucial opening link in Pakistan's title run. He bowled several nerveless final overs and one absolutely crucial opening over, in the final, when he dismissed tournament top-scorer Tillakaratne Dilshan for a five-ball duck, peppering him with quick short balls. He carried on his form to the ODI version, picking match-winning figures of 4 for 28 against Sri Lanka in August before turning in consistent spells in the Champions Trophy. His Test career got off to a more sedate start after he picked 6 wickets on debut in Sri Lanka. With injuries, form and off-field issues affecting Pakistan's pace prospects, Aamer could be their spearhead going into the new decade.
Cricinfo staff
December 2009