Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has once again doubled down on his controversial views ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, showing no signs of backing away from statements that have sparked intense debate across social media and cricket circles. Amir reiterated that India may fail to reach the semi-finals of the tournament and strongly defended his earlier description of India opener Abhishek Sharma as a “slogger.”
Over the past few days Amir has remained in the spotlight after making bold predictions about India’s campaign and questioning Abhishek Sharma’s batting technique. According to Amir his opinion is purely cricket-based and not driven by personal bias or hostility. He believes teams like South Africa and the West Indies are currently performing at a higher level than India and could outplay them in the Super 8 stage.
Responding to backlash from former Indian cricketers Amir said he has only shared his professional assessment of the game and has never crossed the line by making personal or nationalistic attacks. He accused some former Indian players of using abusive language against Pakistan while insisting that he has always maintained respect when expressing his views.
Amir explained that his comment on Abhishek Sharma was rooted in technical observation. He argued that the young batter relies heavily on aggressive stroke play and lacks a solid defensive approach at this stage of his career. According to Amir a batter who struggles to defend or play straight balls naturally fits the description he used and there was no intention to insult the player personally.
The former pacer also stressed the importance of accepting differing opinions in cricket discussions. He stated that not everyone sees the game the same way and former players are entitled to analyse performances based on their experience. Amir added that judging current form South Africa appear stronger than India heading into the decisive stages of the tournament.
India led by Suryakumar Yadav are placed in Group 1 of the Super 8s alongside South Africa West Indies and Zimbabwe while Pakistan will compete in Group 2 with England New Zealand and Sri Lanka. With high-stakes matches approaching Amir’s remarks have only added more spice to the India Pakistan rivalry at the global stage.