“There is just so much hype around him (Mohammad Aamer), I don’t think it is right to give him too much hype after one match. He is good but he needs to prove it over and over again. Now people are comparing him to Wasim Akram and all that. He is just a normal bowler, on that given day if he is good, he is good. It is not as if he turns up and blows everyone away,” this was Rohit Sharma’s statement on Aamer ahead of ICC World T20 2016.
While Indian skipper Virat Kohli has gone gaga with praises over Aamer, Rohit has always played down the hype. Aamer hasn’t taken those comments lightly and has made Rohit his bunny since. Rohit has so far managed just 19 runs against Aamer from 49 balls and has been dismissed on 3 occasions. Aamer dismissed the Indian opener for a duck in the ICC Champions Trophy Final that Pakistan won.
Recalling Rohit’s comments and what happened later, Aamer in an exclusive interview with PakPassion.com, explained: “That was his opinion about me and he is entitled to that opinion. Maybe his opinion about me has now changed. But 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.”
Aamer feels everyone is entitled to have their opinion but his job is to concentrate on performances. “It’s not my concern at all and I just concentrate on my performances and what I am doing for my team. If I worried about other people’s opinions of me that would just cause me stress and that is why I avoid it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether it’s labelling a cricketer world-class or ordinary; it is up to that individual,” Aamer added.
‘One of the best moments of my life’
Aamer described the Champions Trophy final as ‘one of the best moments of my life’, Aamer spoke about the do-or-die encounter.
“It was a final, it was against India and it was a do-or-die situation. I thought to myself, what will be, will be, just go out there and give it your all today. I said to myself, whatever you have got in you just give everything for your country and don’t hold back. I knew that if I could take a few quick wickets early in the Indian innings the match was all but over. I had it in my mind to go out there and give my all with the ball and blow away the Indian top order. I said to myself that this could be one of the best moments of my life and that is exactly what happened,” Aamer recalled the June 18 day, when Pakistan beat all the odds to down their arch-rivals in a tournament, often christened as the ‘Mini World Cup’.
Shri Nav Jyoti Durga Utsav Mandal 