Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has reacted to the recent statement made by Mohammad Amir on India’s batting star Rohit Sharma, saying the former pacer just wants to remain in the limelight and headlines by making such irresponsible comments.
In a recent interview with Cricwick, Amir had spoken about how he always enjoyed bowling to India’s modern-day legends Rohit and Virat Kohli, while saying the latter was easier to bowl against.
Amir had said: “I find it easy to bowl to him (Rohit). I feel that I can get him out both ways. He struggles against the in-swinger from a left-armer and as well as against the ball that goes away early on.”
Reacting to Amir's statement, Kaneria said the left-arm pacer's comments make no sense, saying Rohit is far superior to the Pakistan cricketer while comparing his remark to the one made by Abdul Razzaq about Jasprit Bumrah in the past, calling the India pacer a 'baby bowler'.
Kaneria said on his YouTube channel: “Mohammad Amir, you want to remain in headlines, no doubt. You have been a wonderful bowler for Pakistan. When you debuted, you made quite a name for yourself. You used to make the ball swing both ways with the new ball. You’ve troubled many batsmen and there’s nothing to take away from it. You troubled India in the Champions Trophy final and gave their batsmen a tough time in the Asia Cup as well.”
He added, “But such statements are made when players are about to face each other in an upcoming or an ongoing series. Neither are we going to have an India vs Pakistan series, nor are you going to bowl to Rohit Sharma?
You’ve said something out of the blue, similar to what Razzaq had said about Bumrah. So, it is fine if you want to be in the limelight by making such statements. I understand that a bowler likes to say such things, express himself by saying stuff like ‘he’s my bunny, I like to get him out’.”
Notably, Amir dismissed Rohit just once in ODIs, while twice in a space of seven balls in the T20Is while dismissed Kohli twice in ODIs but never got a chance to get the wicket of India captain in T20I cricket.
Kaneria further explained, “Rohit Sharma is a player who has scored so many double-centuries, and on top of that, he is a run-machine. There is hardly a player who plays spinners and fast bowlers better than him. And as far as you are concerned, you no longer have that pace or swing, because of which you couldn’t perform for the last two years and were axed from the team.”
He concluded, “So you come back, perform and when he is against you, and then make such statements. It will make for an exciting battle. But to say things out of the blue like 'I have two types of balls and I can get him out anytime', I don’t think so. Rohit Sharma is far superior to you, he is of a higher class. Very sorry, but that’s my opinion.”
