Aamir's triumphant SCG return lifts Pakistan hopes

He might be a rookie Test cricketer involved in his first international series, but there was a whiff of familiarity for Australia players and fans as Pakistan's Aamir Jamal played the innings of his life on the opening day of the third NRMA Insurance Test.

For starters, Aamir – who belted his highest first-class score of 88 from just 103 balls faced against what is regarded the pre-eminent attack in world cricket – had been part of a previous Test battle between the two teams at the SCG.

That was seven years ago when the then 20-year-old was sat in the stands cheering on his home nation.

Despite earning selection for Pakistan's under-19 team, Aamir had been unable to forge a path to senior cricket at home and had instead sought opportunities abroad.

In addition to a stint with UK league outfit Doncaster Town, the aspiring fast bowler and useful lower-order batter accepted an offer to turn out for Hawkesbury in Sydney Premier Cricket for that summer of 2016-17.

And it was during that season, when Aamir proved a handy acquisition who picked up 20-odd wickets with the ball and averaged around the same with the bat, he crossed paths with now Australia skipper Pat Cummins.

The pair were on opposing sides when Hawkesbury met Penrith in the final of the 2016-17 one-day competition where Cummins bowled the latter to victory by ensuring Hawkesbury's last pair couldn't score the winning runs needed off his ultimate over.

History didn't quite repeat on Aamir's return to the SCG today, as the rookie in his third Test appearance was the dominant figure in a last-wicket stand of 86 with genuine tailender Mir Hamza that lifted Pakistan to a competitive first innings total of 313.

Aamir withstood the very best Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood could hurl at him as well as the spin of Nathan Lyon for almost two hours as he launched an array of boundaries including an audacious reverse-sweep for six off Lyon, and farmed the strike diligently to ensure Hamza stayed safe.

"It means a lot, it means the world to me," Aamir said of his maiden Test half-century that might have become a remarkable career-first hundred had he not holed out to deep long-on looking for his fifth six.

"The last time I came to Sydney I was sitting in the chairs cheering (for) my team because I wasn't playing for Pakistan.

"So it's a huge moment for me and for my family as well.

"It was lovely to watch everyone on their feet when I was walking off."

Aamir admitted he had barely time nor inclination to enjoy the sights and sensations of Sydney during his previous stay such was his determination to improve his cricket with a view to resurrecting career in Pakistan.

"To be very honest, I couldn't even go outside," Aamir said of his Sydney memories.

"I was just focusing on my cricket. I never been to any beaches or any restaurants, just tried to focus as much as I can on the cricket, all my intentions and everything."

After his time with Hawkesbury, Aamir returned to Pakistan with renewed purpose but still found his ambitions stymied.

He drove a taxi to support himself and his family, until he earned a place at first-class level in late 2018 and eventually a call-up for the national T20 outfit during England's visit in 2022, even though he boasted little experience in the game's shortest format.

He was a surprise selection in the current Test squad when Pakistan's fastest bowler Naseem Shah was unavailable due to injury, and in his debut match at Perth Stadium last month the wholehearted quick claimed 6-111 in his debut bowling innings.

Aamir poignantly fell to his knees and kissed the turf after picking up his fifth wicket that day, but it's unlikely any memory for some time will top the celebration he unveiled in his one-time home town as he reached 50 courtesy of a boundary carved through backward point off Starc.

Part of his routine in acknowledging the milestone was a nod to Pakistan's batting coach with whom he had worked during the day one lunch break, at which staged his team were already in strife after the loss of four early wickets and in the knowledge tail-end contributions would be vital.

"I wanted to go face some pace in the nets," Aamir said at day's end about his decision to undergo an impromptu practice session during the lunch interval.

"So I faced deliveries off 18 yards and I felt like that gave me an edge with the bat in the middle and the celebration post my half-century was an ode to our assistant batting coach Shahid (Aslam).

"The reason for it was that I’d sat for 45 minutes with him while waiting for my turn to bat discussing some personal issues that I felt were holding me back with my batting.

"He has always been a guide for me and I feel like those 45 minutes helped me break away from the issues that I felt entrapped by.

"So that was a tribute to him."

Aamir also revealed the bouncer barrage he endured from Australia's vaunted pace battery, including the smile he copped from Starc after being struck on the body early in his stay, only spurred him to previously unscaled heights.

"We've been talking about lots whenever we go out for the batting and coach (Mohammed) Hafeez always speaks to every batsman, whoever is going to the batting," he said tonight.

"They just wanted every batter to beat their previous highest, so we were talking about that one.

"They asked me what was my highest and I told them it was 80 back in first-class games.

"So he told me to beat 80 today, I never thought I would do it but I just tried and I succeeded.

"The discussion in our camp has been that as soon as our batters from number seven and eight onward walk out to bat, they start targeting us with bouncers.

"I had told the guys in the dressing-room that whatever they do and however often I get hit or wherever I get hit, I will go out and take on the bouncer today.

"I think today's pitch wasn't too different to the Pakistan pitches.

"We've played on Melbourne, we've played on Perth so those were extra bounce and pace on the ball but this deck is pretty good to bat on."

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: Australia won by 360 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 79 runs

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi