Pakistan expect Amir to be fit for Boxing Day Test
Bruised and battered but Pakistan batting coach Grant Fowler is confident Mohammad Amir will be fit for the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne.
Amir had to be assisted from the ground in Brisbane after digging his knee into the Gabba turf before the paceman sensationally returned to the field as he continued bowling in the 39-run defeat to Australia in the opening Test.
The 24-year-old finished with figures of 4-97 and 1-37 in the heartbreaking defeat, with Pakistan falling just short in the record fourth-innings run chase.
Fowler and Co. expect Amir to step out onto the MCG, starting Monday.
“There’s quite a bit of bruising on his thigh,” Flower said on Thursday. “He’s feeling a bit stiff but he’s alright.
“I think the guys are fit enough to go through [five days]. I think our attack will probably be the same.
“We don’t have that all-rounder [option]. It’s one of those things. The guys are just going to have get through it.”
Fowler also expects Pakistan to field an unchanged XI, adding: “I think the guys are fit enough to go through. I think our attack would probably be the same.
“It’s just one of those things that we’ve had for a while, we don’t have that all-rounder batsman, batsman-bowler.
“But it’s one of those things so the guys will just have to get through it.”
Fowler and the Pakistanis are feeling confident ahead of a return to the traditional red ball following the day-night Test with the pink ball in Brisbane.
And Fowler believes the conditions in Melbourne will aid Pakistan in their bid to level the three-Test series.
“[The pitch] looks good. It looks hard. It’s going to have good carry, I think,” he said.
“It’s still got quite a bit of grass, and the groundsman said he’s going to cut it a bit every day so I’m sure it’ll change in appearance quite a bit but it looks like it’s going to be a good deck.
“It’s going to be hard work for the bowlers, but if we can get into them early and if the ball starts reversing then I’m sure we’ve got a good chance of making some things happen.”
