Let the mind games begin: It was one good spell; wrong to compare Amir with Akram, says Rohit Sharma

Kolkata: He may have been bamboozled by Mohammad Amir’s toe crushing delivery but India opener Rohit Sharma expressed dismay over the hype around the Pakistani pacer and said the focus should be on Jasprit Bumrah instead. The left-arm fast bowler made a dream comeback against arch rivals India, scalping 3/18, including that of the star opener. “Just leave him… He’s just come (after the ban) and I don’t think we should go gaga about him. Let him perform for one more year and we will see whether he deserves so much. Woh koi… (I don’t want to use those words).” [caption id=“attachment_2643186” align=“alignleft” width=“379”]  File picture of Rohit Sharma. PTI[/caption] “He’s good but he needs to prove again and again. It’s not right to hype him so much after just one match. Not just for him or who are watching it, let him do it over and over again,” Sharma said. The pacer, 23, is being compared with Pakistani legend Wasim Akram and Sharma said this was a bit too much. “People are comparing him to Wasim Akram and all that. It’s wrong. Let him achieve some bit. Definitely he is got talent but aisa kuch nahin ki aake woh sabko uda hi deta hai (it’s not that he rips apart all line-ups). He’s just a normal bowler who was good on that day.” Asked whether he had reservation against the return from ban of Amir, he said: “It’s none of my concern. Their politics, their issues. I’m not interested. I’ve nothing to say on that.” Sharma went on to shower praise on young pacer Bumrah and urged the media to highlight the young Indian instead. “Instead of talking about Amir you should talk about Bumrah. He’s our Indian bowler and doing well. He’s a rare talent. He’s young. He’s got a long way ahead. The way he has started he will do something special.” On his slinging action, Sharma said he’s very difficult to pick in the nets, something that reminded him of Lasith Malinga when he joined Mumbai Indians. “He’s (Bumrah) an exception. He comes with a surprise, even the captain does not know. He’s got everything in his bank. What we saw in Asia Cup and in Australia he did pretty well. He’s got a good yorker, bouncer all what a modern day bowler needs. Only time will tell us where he will go.” World record holder of highest ODI score, Sharma said people now ask him when he would score 300. “I don’t change my preparation or skill work what people say. I know they will be talking. This is something I’ve learnt over the years. It will not change. It’s important that I stay in my space. To become the best possible I can. “All those things should not reflect. This is India there’re a lot of expectation here. That’s fair enough. When will score 300? They have so much of passion for the game. I’ve no issues. It’s completely right. But they don’t need to understand it’s not possible to score in every game. There will be losses on the way, it’s sport you will win some and lose some.”

PTI