Amir retired from Test cricket after 2019 World Cup to focus more on white-ball cricket.
Former Pakistan speedster Wasim Akram says that Mohammad Amir’s retirement from Tests was his personal decision and people shouldn’t have any problem with that.
After being the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, the 2-year-old fiery pacer called time on his Test career, after playing just 36 Tests, in which he scalped 119 wickets focus more on white-ball cricket.
However, after that, the pacer failed to impact limited-overs for Pakistan, which led to his exclusion squad.
Earlier in December 2020, Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from international cricket citing not being able to handle the mental torture he has been subjected to him by the current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management and some former Pakistan players.
While speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Wasim Akram said that Mohammad Amir should have a place in the Pakistan team, and with three white-ball World Cups coming he can guide the young bowlers of the team in a pressure situation, and together they can give positive results as ‘bowlers come in packs’.
“I still think he should have a place in the Pakistan side. We have three white-ball World Cups in the coming years. I have been saying for a long time that bowlers come in packs.
"When you have a senior bowler in the pack, he can guide the young bowlers in pressure situations by talking with them. They can have quite an impact by giving them confidence and providing them with options,” Wasim Akram told Cricket Pakistan.
‘Papa Mickey Arthur will not always be there to safeguard him’, Akhtar asks Amir to show maturity
Akram recalled his time and said that Imran Khan used to guide him and as a young bowler having a senior in your team gives you confidence and that’s why Amir is important for the Pakistan team.
“When I had a senior bowler guiding me as a young bowler, I had Imran Bhai and I would ask him before every ball. It gives you that added confidence when a senior bowler tells you to do something. I think that is also why Amir is so important,” he said.
Akram remarked that Mohammad Amir should ask himself what are his plans as he’s still among the top bowlers in T20 cricket.
“Amir should ask himself what his plans are for the future. He should ask himself what his personal goals are. He can get any league in the world. He is still one of the top bowlers in world T20 cricket,” he said.
Wasim Akram further said that Amir’s retirement from Tests was his personal decision and people shouldn’t go against him for his. He added that he enjoys his cricket and family life as he has explained his perspective.
“If he retired from Test cricket, by the way, it was his problem. It was his decision. Why are we going against someone because he retired? A player knows about his own body, especially a bowler. Test cricket is not easy.
“If you haven’t played first-class cricket for five years, then your muscles aren’t used to bowling for that long. Amir should just play his cricket. There is no point to all of this. He said what he had to say and explained his point of view. Now he should just play cricket and enjoy his family life as well,” he concluded.
Mohammad Amir has represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is. Amir went on to take 259 wickets across three formats of the game.
(Cricket Pakistan inputs)