Mohammad Amir still receives backlash from wider Pakistan cricket fraternity over his decision to prematurely retire from Test cricket at the age of only 27 last year. However, the left-arm pacer is unperturbed by the discontent in the set-up over his call and says "I know my body the best".
Amir's decision followed his controversial sacking from the T20I squad for the series against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup year.
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But he has since shown his class outside international arena via strong performances in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League.
“Everyone has their opinion. I know my body the best,” Amir told The National. “I felt my body was getting overloaded. I couldn’t manage. To prolong my career, I had to take the decision, which was supported by my family. I am feeling much better and the results are visible."
Amir stressed on the point regarding heavy workload, which reflected especially on his Test performances following comeback from a lengthy ban in 2016 after proven involvement in the spot-fixing scandal.
“Five-year gap is a lot for a bowler. When I came back, I played continuously for three straight years and that too in all formats. Fatigue was bound to happen, especially for fast bowlers. But now I am feeling much better, Alhamdulillah," he said.
“When your focus is on one thing and you are mentally and physically fresh, you can deliver and perform better."
The quest is to do well in whatever games he plays now and be part of the T20 World Cup campaign in Australia in October.
“What do I have to prove (to his critics)?” Amir said. “Performances prove everything. As a professional, whatever opportunities you get, you avail them. Right now, PSL is my focus. I want to enjoy it and perform well. World Cup is a long way away. That’s five-six months away. Now it’s all about PSL."
Amir reckons to turn up for this year's edition of the PSL in front of home crowds in Pakistan is a "major milestone" of his career.
“This is a dream for every player - to represent your county and play in front of your home crowd," he said. "Not just for me but every team player was missing it. This is a major milestone of my career. We played our entire cricket away. This was a dream, to play at home and at our grounds. We can’t thank our Allah enough."
Amir, having ensured a place in the semi-finals for Karachi Kings with ten scalps from nine matches at a fine economy of 7.52, will be hoping to continue the good work and help Kings lift the title.
(Inputs from The National)
