The left-arm fast bowler of Pakistan, Mohammad Amir, shocked the world by making a sudden international retirement alongside the spin all-rounder of the side, Imad Wasim after both of them were part of the recent T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and United States of America (USA), where they finished with a group-stage exit.
Mohammad Amir finished with 119 Test wickets in 36 games at an average of around 30 and a strike rate of 64 with the help of four five-wicket hauls as his last encounter in the format came in 2019 against South Africa at the Wanderers. The Punjab-born also collected 81 wickets in 60 ODIs at an average of nearly 30 and a strike rate of 37.
In the shortest format of the game, the pacer claimed 71 scalps in 61 innings at an average of around 22 and an economy rate of 7.07. His experience of 353 scalps in 300 T20 innings at an economy rate of 7.20 is still pushing him at the age of 32 around the franchise leagues.
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“This is never guaranteed that I will play all the matches because it’s cricket, it’s the fastest format, and there are back-to-back games. At the end of the day, we are human beings.” Mohammad Amir, who destroyed the top order of India’s batting consisting of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan to win the 2017 Champions Trophy, addressed Time of India in an exclusive interview.
Mohammad Amir reflects on the fast nature of the current game
In two matches for the Desert Vipers in the ongoing International League T20, he has bowled eight overs and took two wickets, both of which came with the new ball. He, however, couldn’t confirm the state of his body.
In 2019, Mohammad Amir decided to retire from the longest format, while by December 2020, he stepped away from international white-ball cricket, citing the ‘mental torture’ and bad treatment by the management as the reasons for his decision.
However, he came out of retirement in March 2024, with the hope of successful for Pakistan, and was included in the T20 World Cup squad.
“After careful consideration, I have taken the difficult decision to retire from international cricket. These decisions are never easy but are inevitable.” The veteran posted on his social media on December 14, 2024.
The bowler has taken his retirement from international cricket but reckons that he will keep on playing in the leagues around the world. On a serious note, he has justified his decision to retire.
“Look, we now have such good young players who are delivering and playing regularly. It’s their time. And I believe that for those who have to serve the country for 5-10 years, it’s their right to fill that spot. I made my debut in 2009, and so many years have passed, playing international cricket. Now, it’s time for the youngsters to carry this forward.” Mohammad Amir reflected on Times of India.
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He clarified that the nature of the current games, with so many events happening one after the other, has led them to pick franchises over international cricket.
“In white-ball cricket, I never had a fitness issue; sometimes, maybe yes only in the longer formats. You don’t stay young forever; you move towards old age, and then you have to manage your workload. Rest becomes very limited because of the continuous back-to-back cricket, international cricket, and league cricket.” Mohammad Ami highlighted this in the same discussion.
The veteran also shed light on the importance of taking care of fitness and diet. If they keep on meeting the requirements and train properly, then there is a chance of staying fit, even though there is no guarantee of it, as the southpaw concluded his view.