File photo of Mohammad Amir.© AFP
Ex fast bowler Mohammad Amir says he felt sidelined and ignored by the “Pakistan cricket setup” after the 2024 T20 World Cup and cited lack of communication as the reason behind his retirement late last year. Amir and Imad Wasim had come out of their retirements to play in last year’s T20 World Cup in which Pakistan’s flop show saw the winners of the 2009 edition failing to make the Super Eight stage. Both these players announced their retirements on consecutive days last December. Amir said on a TV channel, “I felt sidelined and ignored by the Pakistan cricket setup after the T20 World Cup. After the T20 World Cup ended, no one even talked to me. No one told me if I was part of the future plans.” “A wise person understands the signs – if you’re not in the plans, then you have to think about yourself. That’s exactly what I did. I’ve made up my mind now – thank you very much, international cricket,” he said.
The left-arm pacer had earlier retired from international cricket in December 2020 at the age of 28 citing issues with coaches Misbah Ul Haq and Waqar Younis.
Amir said he had even refused accepting a contract to play County cricket after PCB had asked him to play in the World Cup in the Americas.
“Honestly speaking, I ended up spending more money than I made. I travelled with my trainer, and all those expenses came out of my own pocket. But that’s a different matter,” Amir said.
Meanwhile, Amir supported players having an aggressive mindset in cricket.
“Cricket used to be fierce. Being mentally aggressive is part of the game’s beauty. It’s not about disrespect – it’s about shifting the batter’s focus. Off the field, we all hang out and joke around,” he said.
The 33-year-old Amir also backed Pakistan batting mainstay Babar Azam to come out strong from his recent struggles while pointing out his technical flaws.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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