RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sources'Not their fault': Mohammad Amir aims dig at current crop of Pakistan players as their struggle in England conditions continue originally appeared on Cricket News .
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Pakistan collapsed for 110 after England posted 290, handing the hosts a massive 180-run lead inside two days at Lord's.
England stretched their advantage to 261 runs by stumps on Day 2, with Ollie Robinson wrecking Pakistan's top order.
Mohammad Amir defended the current batting group, saying their skill level simply doesn't match past greats like Younis Khan.
Mohammad Amir delivers a brutal reality check on Pakistan team's struggles in English conditions
It's hard to look away from the wreckage unfolding at Lord's, and former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has rubbed salt in the wound by claiming that the likes of Babar Azam & Co. do not have the technical ability of their predecessors to survive in England.
The Three Lions tightened their grip on the second Test on Day 2, as they bundled out the tourists for a paltry 110 after posting 290. By the time bad light called a halt to proceedings, the hosts were sitting pretty at 261 runs ahead with two full days still on the clock.
Pakistan's batters simply had no answers as Jofra Archer got things going by removing Shan Masood for just one run, and Tongue followed up soon after, sending back Abdullah Shafique with the opener managing only five. Babar Azam couldn't get going either, out for eight, while Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan both failed to steady things when it mattered most.
Azan Awais stood alone amid the chaos. He dug in, grinding out 46 off 102 deliveries, and for a while it looked like he might drag Pakistan to something respectable. But once Ollie Robinson got him out, the innings folded quickly, laying bare just how brittle this batting line-up really is.
Robinson walked away with a jaw-dropping spell of 13-6-11-4, while Archer picked up three and Tongue chipped in with two more.
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What did Amir say about Pakistan's batting struggles in England?
Amir believes that these batsmen have reached their ceiling, and he put it down to a straightforward gap in ability, as he compared them to the greats who came before them.
"Honestly, these players are doing as much as their ability allows," he said. "It's not their fault. Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf had the ability to score runs everywhere, including England, Australia and New Zealand."
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He didn't stop there, either, and added a broader point about how talent dictates outcomes at this level.
"The more ability you have, the more you can achieve. In these conditions, I think these batters can only do this much," he said.
Amir did leave a bit of wiggle room, though, suggesting home conditions might tell a different story: "If you take them to Pakistan and prepare slow or turning pitches, it could be a different ball game."
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Amir's right, but it's a damning admission, not an excuse
When Amir says the current crop simply doesn't have what it takes against the moving ball in English conditions, it shows deep structural flaws in the system.
That's a verdict on years of systemic failure in coaching, in domestic pitches, in exposure to seam-friendly cricket outside the subcontinent.
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Comparing these batters to Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf is actually pointless. Those two built excellent overseas records because they trained for it, faced tougher domestic conditions, and had technique drilled into them from a young age. If Pakistan's current batters "can only do this much" away from home, as Amir puts it, the question isn't really about individual talent at all; it's also about what the system around them has or hasn't provided.
Building an entire batting unit that thrives only in home comforts and folds the moment conditions get tricky abroad isn't a formula for long-term success. And it's a pattern Pakistan cricket has seen play out again and again.
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