Mohammad Amir joins trent rockets for The hundred 2026

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has officially joined Trent Rockets for “the 2026 edition of The Hundred”, strengthening the franchise’s bowling attack ahead of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from 21 July to 16 August.

The signing was confirmed by Trent Rockets in an official statement, with the franchise announcing that Amir will replace English seamer David Payne, who remains sidelined while recovering from an ankle injury.

In its announcement, the club said, “Fast bowler Mohammad Amir will replace David Payne, who continues his recovery from an ankle injury. We wish David all the best in his recovery.”

Reacting to the move, the experienced left-arm pacer expressed his delight at joining the Nottingham-based side.“I’m happy to be part of Trent Rockets,” Amir said shortly after the signing was confirmed.

This will not be Amir’s first appearance in The Hundred. The 34-year-old has previously featured in three editions of the competition, representing both London Spirit and Oval Invincibles. During those campaigns, he played eight matches and claimed six wickets, gaining valuable experience in England’s innovative 100-ball tournament.

Amir will not be the only Pakistani cricketer participating in this year’s competition. Mystery spinners Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq have also secured contracts and will represent Sunrisers Leeds and Birmingham Phoenix, respectively.

Usman Tariq was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (approximately PKR 53.2 million), making him the first Pakistani player to be selected in this year’s auction. His selection came after several high-profile Pakistan stars, including Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub, went unsold during their respective auction rounds.

Meanwhile, Sunrisers Leeds, the franchise formerly known as Northern Superchargers and now affiliated with the Indian Premier League, secured the services of Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 (around PKR 71.2 million). The mystery spinner is expected to play a key role in the team’s bowling attack during the tournament.

The 2026 season of The Hundred will begin with an opening fixture between MI London and Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval, marking the start of another highly anticipated edition of the competition.

Before joining Trent Rockets, Amir has been in action for Nottinghamshire in the ongoing T20 Blast, where he is playing as a local player following his acquisition of British citizenship. So far this season, the experienced seamer has taken four wickets in five matches, maintaining an average of 22.09 and an economy rate of 7.62, underlining his effectiveness in the shortest format of the game.

Amir initially joined Nottinghamshire as a replacement for Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar, who withdrew from the competition to carefully manage his workload.

The former Pakistan international enjoyed an impressive career before announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2024. Across all three formats, Amir represented Pakistan in 159 international matches, claiming 271 wickets and establishing himself as one of the country’s most successful left-arm fast bowlers.

In May this year, Amir became a British citizen after obtaining a UK passport, a development that has enabled him to continue playing domestic cricket in England as a local player rather than an overseas signing.

With extensive international experience, proven success in franchise cricket and familiarity with English conditions, Amir is expected to provide valuable depth and leadership to Trent Rockets’ pace attack. His arrival adds further strength to the squad as the franchise aims to challenge for the title in The Hundred 2026, while Pakistan’s representation in the tournament has also increased with the inclusion of Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq in their respective teams.