Gloucestershire has snapped up former Pakistani left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir for County Championship games.
The 30-year-old will be available for three county games in April and May against Surrey, Hampshire, and Somerset.
Welcome to Gloucestershire, @iamamirofficial 😍
We are delighted to announce the signing of Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir 🙌
The experienced international will be available to play in three County Championship matches for Glos in April & May.
Read more ⤵#GoGlos 💛🖤
— Gloucestershire Cricket (@Gloscricket) April 22, 2022
Amir represented Pakistan in 36 Test matches and had 119 Test wickets to his name before calling time on his international career.
He is expected to shoulder the responsibilities assigned to Naseem Shah who has been ruled out for up to a month with a shoulder issue.
Naseem Shah will likely be available for selection in the T20 Blast.
Amir is in line to make his first-team debut against Surrey at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol, on Thursday 28 April.
Speaking of his excitement at signing for Glos, Amir said: “The County Championship is an amazing competition and I can’t wait to get going with Gloucestershire. I love playing in English conditions and I’m feeling really good, so I hope I can perform well for the team.
“I’m excited for the challenge and will try my best to help Gloucestershire win some matches.”
Mohammad Amir previously enjoyed two spells at Essex as an overseas signing in 2017 and 2019.
In 2017, he featured for Essex during their title-winning County Championship campaign and in the T20 Blast campaign, in which he took a combined 28 wickets across both competitions.
Steve Snell, Performance Director at Gloucestershire Cricket, said: “We are delighted to have signed a bowler of Amir’s calibre. We will sadly be without Naseem for a few weeks due to injury and while we help him get back to full fitness, Amir will provide us with quality and international experience in our seam attack for what is a strong first division competition.
“Amir fits the bill perfectly for what we need and we’re confident he will be a great addition to the squad for those three matches. He has indicated his hunger and desire to make pivotal contributions during his time with us and we look forward to making him feel welcome in Bristol with Gloucestershire.
Pakistan currently has a melange of superstars representing different outfits in England’s domestic circuit with more to follow when the T20 Blast begins.
