When Mohammad Amir announced his decision to quit international cricket after he claimed that he was being “mentally tortured”, many Pakistan cricketers expressed their surprise. Among them was former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, but the Rawalpindi Express put an offer on the table for Amir, determined to give the pacer a chance to get his career back on track.
“Give @iamamirofficial under me and then see the wonders he does on the ground. Na zaaya kerain us ko,” he tweeted just hours after Amir’s decision was confirmed.
Give @iamamirofficial under me and then see the wonders he does on the ground. Na zaaya kerain us ko.
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) December 17, 2020
Some responded to Akhtar’s tweet positively, saying that the 28-year-old bowler needs to be on the Pakistan national team and cannot be left to the politics in the cricket board. Some others, however, cited Amir’s previous lapses in judgment which got him banned from playing and said that it’s time he called time on his career.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja called it a “sad untimely exit of a potential super star”.
“Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential super star! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities. Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy shit!” Raja tweeted.
Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential super star! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities. Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy shit!
— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) December 17, 2020
Amir on Thursday claimed that it was difficult for him to work under the current management of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“To be honest, I don’t think I can play cricket under this management. I am leaving cricket. I am being mentally tortured. I cannot handle it. I have had enough since 2010-2015. I have had to hear repeatedly that PCB invested a lot in me,” Amir said in a video that has gone viral.
The PCB confirmed that same, adding that Amir showed no desire to play international cricket.
“He should not be considered for future international matches,” the PCB said in a statement.
“This is a personal decision of Mohammad Amir, which the PCB respects, and as such, will not make any further comment on this matter at this stage.”
Amir, who made his international debut in the 2009 T20 World Cup, has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 ODIs for Pakistan, and has gone on to take 259 wickets across all three formats.
In 2010, he was found guilty of conspiracy charges relating to spot-fixing, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, and was banned for five years after deliberately bowling no-balls during a Test match against England.
Amir had announced his retirement from Test cricket last year so as to focus on white-ball cricket.
