Abu Dhabi, Nov 25 (IANS): Bangla Tigers' seamer Mohammad Amir on Thursday opened up on his battle with COVID amid the ongoing Season 5 of Abu Dhabi T10 and revealed that he has returned to bowl at the nets sessions.
"I practiced for two days. When I run for long or if I speak for too long, I start coughing. It is difficult because you feel fatigued. But as a professional, you need to have the mindset to get yourself out of that zone or it will keep troubling you. You know your responsibilities to your body. I am improving day by day," Amir said.
The veteran fast bowler also expressed a desire to be a part of the team in the final 4-5 games and also added that he has no pressure from Bangla Tigers.
"I wish to play the last 4-5 games. The team is performing well at this point and we have found our winning combination. It helps me as I can take an extra day or two if needed to recover. There is no pressure from management and they have told me I can play whenever I start to feel better," Amir added.
Amir, who has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is for Pakistan, spoke about the intricacies of playing as a fast bowler in the T10 format, where each bowler only gets to bowl two overs per innings.
"You feel pressure every second in T10. It is good for a player to be under experience because it improves the skills of a player. It is a very tough tournament for a bowler because the margin of error is minimal. There is no room to settle. Your game awareness increases as you are constantly planning how you can bowl a dot ball or prevent boundaries," Amir said.
"If I get swing on the surface, I will take my chance with it. It does not matter which format it is, you should always go with your strengths. If you are not able to find swing, then you have to change your plans in T10 because batsmen come with the mindset to start hitting shots straightaway. You may need to start bowling as one does in death overs," he added.
Speaking on the environment at the T10 franchise, Amir said, "I found the environment at Bangla Tigers very relaxing and it never feels like we all belong to different parts of the world. This is an integral aspect of the team's success."
On speculations of coming out of international retirement, Amir said that at this point, he is focused on playing Abu Dhabi T10 and other leagues.
"I was in contact with Wasim Khan. There is new management and chairman at PCB. I have not spoken to any of them. You have to keep your self-respect and if I say I will come out of retirement and the board has no plans for me to return, then it would not be fair. So, at this point, I am focused on T10 and other cricket leagues," he signed off.