Pakistan confident that Mohammad Amir will lead Lord’s attack

Mohammad Amir, the leader of Pakistan’s attack, will be fit to return to Lord’s despite sitting out the tourists’ final warm-up match against a second-string Leicestershire side over the weekend.

His absence was due to a knee injury that saw him spend time off the field during Pakistan’s victory over Ireland last week. In the lunch break at Grace Road, he was put through his paces and Pakistan are confident he will be fit for the First Test, which starts at Lord’s on Thursday.

“Amir is fine,” said Azhar Ali, the opening batsman. “Even with his injury he bowled well against Ireland and the last couple of days he has been doing his rehab and bowling on the outfield. He is quite comfortable.”

There was a six-year gap between his last two Lord’s Tests: in 2010 and 2016. The first time he was a mesmerising but impressionable 18-year-old who took six for 84 as Pakistan lost. Soon, his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal meant he was handed a five-year suspension and spent time in a young offenders’ institution.

He has not seemed quite the bowler he was before his ban, but he did bring up his 100th Test wicket against Ireland and shapes as a key bowler for Pakistan against England. He took five wickets in that match, which was just the third time he had done so in 17 Tests since returning from his ban at Lord’s in 2016.

There was little else in Leicester to cheer the tourists.

The two-day game, predictably, ended in a drab draw and Leicestershire’s youthful batting line-up frustrated them yesterday.

Pakistan, with their prospective Test attack minus Amir playing, managed just five wickets.