Mohammad Amir sends special gift to childhood coach

Pakistan fast bowling sensation Mohammad Amir made sure that his childhood coach had a wonderful time celebrating ‘Eid’. Asif Bajwa, who resides in Lahore and coaches cricket at an academy, was delighted to receive a special gift from his pupil, who the coach thinks was the brightest student at his academy.

A spell which rocked the best int he world

Amir had sent his ICC Champions Trophy jersey to his former coach. It was the same jersey which the fast bowler wore on the day of the finals where he rocked the Indian top order with a memorable spell. It was his spell which paved the way for Pakistan’s first 50-over ICC trophy after 25 years as the Men in Green toppled their neighbors in a one-sided contest held at the Kennington Oval in London.

Bajwa was delighted to receive such a gift from his student on the occasion of ‘Eid’.  “I just could not imagine that Amir would be presenting me such a precious gift. This was the jersey He wore on the day of Champions Trophy final against India. Amir’s devastating spell forced India to surrender to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final. If Amir had put the jersey on auction he would have fetched a lot of money from it. But he proved that he is also a good human being,” said Bajwa.

Amir is a lucky cricketer who has successfully reintegrated in the Pakistan side after being banned for five years as he was found guilty of spot-fixing during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010. It was ironical that he produced one of the best opening bursts seen in recent times in the same country on the big stage. The left-arm fast bowler is on song ever since he made his international return early last year. His coach could see the talent when he was only 11.

“After watching his bowling at the age of 11, I assumed he has a bright future. Even at that age, he used to swing the ball so sharp and his deliveries used to pitch up at such an unplayable length that the senior batsmen in the nets had great difficulty facing him.”

The 25-year old, during those times, couldn’t afford to pay the Academy fees. His coach not only exempted him from paying the fees but also accommodated him at his own house without any monetary interest.

Playing in England will help Amir

Bajwa was glad that Amir, after scripting one of Pakistan’s best wins in recent times, stayed put in England and played in their domestic tournaments which have further enhanced his skill as a fast bowler. He became the first bowler in NatWest Blast T20 to deliver more than 100 dot balls in a season.