Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Amir on Wednesday (November 25) admitted that he was disappointed after being overlooked for the team’s upcoming tour of New Zealand since he was expecting to be part of the squad.

Pakistan is all set to travel to New Zealand to play the three-match T20I series and two-match Test series starting December 18. The senior pacer last played for Pakistan in England when cricketing actions returned in August 2020 after the Coronavorus-forced break across the world.

The pacer also played in the recent playoffs of the PSL 2020 but wasn’t picked for the three-match T20Is against the Black Caps. However, leaving behind the disappointment, Amir has vowed to bounce back strong and return to the Pakistan team, as he is taking the snub as motivation to do better.

Amir told Cricket Pakistan, “It was disappointing as I was expecting to be part of the squad (for the New Zealand tour). It was the selector’s decision but this motivates me to perform in a better manner, improve my fitness, and regain my place in the side.”

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He further added, “The New Zealand tour could be make-or-break for many cricketers, which has also been the case in the past as well. The conditions are difficult for batting while the bowlers also have a small margin of error due to small boundaries. So the players, especially the youngsters, who perform well can improve their career trajectory.”

Amir, who has represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20 internationals, is currently in Sri Lanka to play in the Lanka Premier League. He also opened up about his surprise Test retirement.

The 28-year-old further explained, “People talk about my age and retirement but they don’t realize that I did not play cricket for five years. Even if you don’t start your car for a week, even that needs an oil change to get it running properly once again.”

He signed off by saying, “My workload management was becoming a major issue which forced me to take that decision. I was continuously facing fitness issues and our physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon can confirm that I was no. 1 on the treatment list, during the England tour in 2018. If I had played all formats, I would have retired from international cricket by now.”