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Mohammad Amir dives into the record books

Mohammad Amir dives backwards to take a catch at covers AFP

It is not often that a sensational piece of athleticism earns you a record you would rather do without. But it was exactly that fate that befell Mohammad Amir when he pulled off a show-stopping effort to get rid of Darren Bravo in the Sharjah Test.

Just as the first session of day two seemed to be drifting sleepily towards the lunch break, Amir took it upon himself to wake everyone up. Bravo, who had endured a stern bouncer examination, swiped across the line of a Zulfiqar Babar delivery and skied the ball into the cover region.

Amir, who was in to cut off the single, turned around, sprinted back and put in a full-length dive, arms outstretched. The ball lodged cleanly in his hands and, despite a hard landing, he completed a stunning catch to get rid of West Indies' best batsman.

The spectacular display gave him his first catch in Test cricket - in his 20th match - and, with it, the dubious distinction of taking the longest to get to the mark.