Mohammad Amir, a former Pakistan fast bowler, retired from international cricket in December 2020, citing mental torture’ by team management. However, talk of his return spread throughout the country following a change in the administration of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in December 2022, following the sacking of the then-Chairman Ramiz Raja.
Recently, Pakistan’s newly appointed team director, Mohammad Hafeez, who will accompany the team as a head coach in the upcoming three-match Test series in Australia, revealed a recent conversation with Amir in which he discussed his future.
“I called Amir and told him that if he wanted to play for Pakistan, he needed to first reverse his retirement. ‘Return to domestic cricket and excel. The selection committee will then evaluate your performance and choose you. I assured him that when he returned to Pakistan, he would be given equal opportunities. He stated that he had already moved on. He believes that his priorities have shifted and that his life has changed. And we must respect his decision,” Hafeez was quoted in the Hindustan Times as saying.
Cricketer Hafeez gets candid:
Hafeez went on to say that Amir isn’t interested in starting over and is more interested in playing in international leagues. “He told me he feels more comfortable playing in international leagues. He does not want to restart from the beginning. That is his choice, and we must respect it,” he added.
Notably, Amir made his international debut against England in a T20I in 2009 and rose to prominence due to his ability to swing the ball both ways. However, due to his involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal in England, he nearly jeopardized his career and faced a five-year ban.
Amir made an incredible comeback in 2017, helping Pakistan win the Champions Trophy with his incredible newball spell in the final, scalping the big wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan.
He also finished the 2019 World Cup as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker, with 17 wickets from eight matches. He last played for Pakistan in a Twenty20 International against England in August 2020. The 31-year-old took 119 and 81 wickets in 36 Tests and 61 One-Day Internationals, respectively. The left-arm seamer also took 59 wickets in 50 T20Is.
So, this was all about the cricketer Hafeez. Also read, BCCI to urge cricketer Rohit Sharma to lead in SA T20Is.
