Last year’s International League (IL) T20 runners-up Desert Vipers have signed up former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir for the second season of the tournament.
The 31-year-old will be joining fellow Pakistanis Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Azam Khan in the Vipers’ squad.
Amir boasts a tally of 303 wickets in T20s to date, and his most recent appearance was in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) last September, representing Jamaica Tallawahs, where he ranked as the third-highest wicket-taker.
Notably, his last competitive series took place in the UAE during the Abu Dhabi T10, where he clinched the title with the New York Strikers, securing five wickets with an economy rate of 7.85. In the previous edition of the PSL, Amir emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Karachi Kings, alongside Imad Wasim.
“In signing Amir, we have lined up a player who knows both the format, and the conditions in the UAE, inside-out,” Vipers’ director of cricket Tom Moody said in a media release.
“He was playing in Abu Dhabi as recently as last month, for the New York Strikers in the T10 tournament, under one of our coaches, Carl Crowe, with the Strikers going on to win that event in large part due to Amir’s contributions with the ball.
“And in a world where player availability is not always guaranteed because of international commitments, the fact he no longer plays for Pakistan means call-ups for his national team are not an issue.
“Amir adds further depth to our quality pace attack and we look forward to welcoming him to the Desert Vipers and to him contributing to what we hope and expect will be a successful campaign.”
Amir said he was looking forward to making the Vipers a top team in the forthcoming season as well.
“The dressing room has some very talented and experienced players like Alex Hales, Colin Munro and Sheldon Cottrell, and some exciting new faces, and I am really looking forward to playing with my fellow Pakistanis Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan,” he said in the release.
“I always enjoy playing in the UAE because the cricket fans always support Pakistan players and cheer us on. I know the local conditions as I have played a lot of cricket there, so that will be an advantage for me. I cannot wait to come to Dubai, and meet the team and all the amazing coaching staff, including Carl Crowe, who I worked with in the T10 tournament last month.”
On the other hand, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders also signed up retired all-rounder Imad Wasim on January 11. The franchise announced the signing on social platforms.
The second season of ILT20 starts on January 19 and Vipers’ first game will be against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on January 21 in Dubai.
