India batsman Rohit Sharma had labelled Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir as a 'normal bowler' last year despite his incredible performance against the Men in Blue during the Asia Cup. More than a year has passed since that remark by Rohit, but Amir did not have any harsh words to say about the Mumbai batsman, and labelled him as an extraordinary batsman.
However, Amir seems to have a special corner for Indian superstars, as he had couple of weeks ago, referred Virat Kohli as the best batsman in the world. He ranked Kohli above the likes of Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.
Amir's latest praise on Rohit will melt Indian hearts as he could have been harsh when talking about Rohit, especially after the opener was dismissed by the pacer in the final of the Champions Trophy as well. The Pakistan bowler went the other way, and sang lavish praise on Rohit.
"Let's get one thing clear, I would never call him an ordinary batsman in fact I would call him an extraordinary batsman. His record for India is superb and I respect him. His opinions about other cricketers are up to him, but with all due respect I never worry about what other cricketers have to say about me," Sky Sports quoted Amir as saying.
Amir is one of the best bowlers in world cricket at the moment, but his resume has already got a black mark due to his involvement in spot-fixing when representing the national team in England. As a result, he was banned for five years.
However, after serving the ban, the left-arm pacer has been sensational and is gradually coming back to his best. He came up with one of his best bowling performance against India in the Champions Trophy 2017 final, picking up three wickets to help his team win the title.
With India and Pakistan not playing any bilateral events due to political reasons, one will only get to see these two arch-rivals in Asian or ICC events. We may get to see Amir vs Rohit battle in the Asia Cup 2018, and one hopes there is a great contest between the two, with respect being shown towards each another.
