Former Pakistan National Cricket Team player Mohammad Amir shared his take on the toughest cricketing league in the world. He said that he has played in many leagues across the globe but ILT20 is the toughest he has been part of.
The third edition of the ILT20 is around the corner. The tournament will be played from 11th January to 9th February and will see some of the big names taking part. One among them is former Pakistan National Cricket Team player Mohammad Amir, who has been playing in the league for a while.
Mohammad Amir will be representing Dessert Vipers in the ILT20. He was a decent contributor for his team last year, and this year, he would want to go one step further than last and help his team win the title, having missed out on the knockout stage last year.
I play in many leagues around the world, but it’s rare to find an environment where you’re kept so relaxed – Mohammad Amir on ILT20
Amir, who has played Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League, England’s T20 blast, The Hundred, and the Bangladesh Premier League as well, talked about the last season in ILT20, saying that he enjoyed his time in the tournament, calling it the toughest league. Speaking to the Times of India, he said:
“Last year with the Vipers, I really enjoyed a lot; the environment was amazing, to be honest. I play in many leagues around the world, but it’s rare to find an environment where you’re kept so relaxed. Secondly, in my opinion, ILT20 is the toughest league.”
As a bowler, I feel this is the toughest league in the world – Mohammad Amir
Amir pointed out how Dubai Capitals took the game away from them last time, highlighting that batting lineups in ILT20 are very deep, and cited why he called the league the toughest in the world. He elaborated:
“Last year, we were playing against the Dubai Capitals, and they were 7 wickets down. They needed 30 runs in three overs, and Rovman Powell and Jason Holder were batting at number 8 and 9. Normally, this doesn’t happen. In most other leagues, if you get the top 5-6 batters out, you usually win the match, but that’s not the case here. That’s why, as a bowler, I feel this is the toughest league in the world.”
This year, I feel we have ticked every box – Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir is confident that Desert Vipers will have a great season this time around, saying that they have a good mix of all-rounders. While talking about the same, he added:
“This year, I feel we have ticked every box. If you look at our combination, we have everything. Our top-four batters are solid, then there’s a good mix of allrounders,” he remarked. “We also have one of the best spinners in (Wanindu) Hasaranga and Nathan Sowter. In fast bowling, we’ve got both combinations — right-arm and left-arm. So this time, our performance will definitely be better.”
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