KARACHI: Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has broken his silence over the controversy surrounding his description of Indian opener Abhishek Sharma as a “slogger”, insisting that his comments were misunderstood and explaining the context behind his choice of words.
Amir faced criticism after questioning Sharma’s batting technique and consistency during a television discussion ahead of the high-profile India-Pakistan clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Speaking in a recent interaction with an Indian journalist, the former Pakistan international clarified that he was referring to Sharma’s aggressive approach rather than using the term in a deliberately negative sense.
According to Amir, the word carried a different meaning in the Urdu context, where it was intended to describe a batter who attempts to attack almost every delivery.
“‘Slogging’ is the same in English, but in Urdu, you could describe it as ‘chalana’ because he goes after every ball rather than holding back,” Amir explained.
He further maintained that his assessment had been taken out of context.
“People misunderstood my comment. What I meant was that he tries to hit every ball, and players with that approach carry a higher risk,” he added.
The controversy began when Amir appeared on Geo News’ special programme Haarna Mana Hai ahead of the much-anticipated India-Pakistan encounter. During the discussion, he questioned Sharma’s technical abilities and suggested that his attacking style made him vulnerable to inconsistent performances.
“From what I have seen of him so far, in my opinion — if I’m being completely honest — he looks like a slogger to me. He just tries to hit every ball. If it connects, it connects. But most of the time, the chances of failure are higher,” Amir had remarked.
The former Pakistan pacer also highlighted what he perceived as a lack of consistency in Sharma’s batting, arguing that the left-hander often failed to convert his aggressive starts into substantial scores.
Amir pointed to the possibility of Sharma producing a big innings occasionally while struggling to make an impact in several other outings.
He also questioned the technical foundation of the Indian opener’s batting, suggesting that his approach relied more on power-hitting than conventional shot-making.
However, Amir did acknowledge the threat Sharma poses when his attacking game clicks. He admitted that the Indian opener has the ability to damage any opposition on his day, despite the risks associated with his approach.
“I’m giving an honest opinion. I’m also saying that on the day it comes off, it really comes off — and he can hurt any team. But his game is very high risk. Secondly, he even struggles against a good slower ball,” Amir said.
The clarification comes amid the wider debate surrounding Sharma’s aggressive batting philosophy, which has made him one of the most attacking options at the top of India’s T20 batting order.
