Redemption can be the stuff of fairy tales, especially if it happens to a sportsman. Six years after a moment of indiscretion at cricket’s most hallowed venue left the then 19-year-old Mohamed Amir facing an uncertain future in the game and grappling with the prospect of living out the rest of his life out of the public eye as a convicted cheat, he would be relieved to find himself at the centre of a new cricketing world order where only praise and admiration prevails.
Doubly pleasing for the left-arm fast bowler would be the fact that he earned his redemption with a victory for Pakistan at Lord’s, where as an impressionable teen in 2010 he had fallen victim to his captain Salman Butt’s greed and deliberately bowled no-balls to add another murky chapter to the recent history of the sport.
Pakistan’s 75-run victory over England in the first Test match at Lord’s on Sunday was all the more remarkable because it was Amir who sparked the celebrations by claiming the last wicket – that of Jake Ball – to signal his and his team’s intentions in the four-Test series.
It’s a credit to them that despite being forced to play their “home” series in the United Arab Emirates for several years now, they have lost none of their passion for the game and the will to succeed against all odds.
At Lord’s, too, the odds, especially the psychological ones, seemed stacked up against them because despite their international travails England are always more than a handful at home. To make matters worse for Pakistan was the pre-match hype generated by the Amir situation where a lot was said about whether he would be able to cope with the crowd, some of whom would be more than willing to taunt him and give him some lip over the spot-fixing episode.
But Amir was perhaps lucky that the decorous crowd at Lord’s would have none of that nonsense; if anything, they welcomed him with all their heart, instead reserving the boos for some of the home team’s bowlers.
“He’s part of the team that has won the Test match, it will be one of the memorable days of his life and from here he can start his career again,” Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said.
“He’s a good kid now, he’s a mature cricketer and he can prove to everyone that he’s a good bowler.”
Misbah added the victory at Lord’s on Sunday completed a long journey back from the depths for a nation mad about the sport.
“It’s been a remarkable turnaround after the 2010 incident,” Misbah said.
“The team took real responsibility and these players showed a lot of respect for the game, fought throughout the six years and brought plenty of wins. Their on and off-the-field disciplines are really good.”
Although it was leg-spinner Yasir Shah who stole the show at Lord’s with a man-of-the-match performance by claiming 10 wickets, Amir will get plenty of opportunities in the remaining three Tests to display his skills.
But even if he fails to come up with an inspiring match-winning performance in the next few weeks, there is no doubt that on a personal level, his life has come a full circle.