Karachi Kings’ speedster Mohammad Amir has revealed his bowling strategy ahead of the eight edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Amir was the first player to take a hat-trick in PSL when he dismissed Lahore Qalandars’ Dwayne Bravo, Zohaib Khan and Kevon Cooper on successive balls in Dubai in 2016.
The left-armer has taken 54 wickets and also bowled six maiden overs, in his 59-match PSL career, which is the most for any bowler in the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Amir said that it is important to have a strong Plan B in T20 cricket.
“In T20 cricket, you have to understand what the pitch demands from you as a bowler. You do not worry about which batters are on strike, but instead assess what the wicket requires you to do,” Amir told PCB Digital.
“If there is swing on offer, I will rely on fuller lengths but if the pitch is slow, I will use the off-cutter as my stock ball.
“Nowadays in T20s, there is not a lot of swing to play with apart from the first couple of overs, hence, you have to come up with a strong Plan B. You must have different types of deliveries besides conventional swing to outfox the batter.
“As a new-ball bowler, my role in the team is to take early wickets in the Powerplay. On the other hand, while defending a target, I try to create pressure by bowling dot deliveries because if I go for a wicket, I may concede boundaries and the team cannot afford that.”
The opening ceremony of PSL 8 will be held in Multan on February 13 prior to the tournament opener between 2021 winners Multan Sultans and defending champions Lahore Qalandars; meanwhile the closing ceremony and final will be played on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host play-offs.
Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first side to win back-to-back titles; meanwhile Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful side by lifting the trophy thrice.
Rawalpindi will stage 11 fixtures, Karachi and Lahore will host nine matches each, whereas Multan will have five home games.