Mohammad Amir to Return to International Cricket for Pakistan
Mohammad Amir hung his boots from international cricket in December 2020 (Twitter)
Former Pakistan pacer, Mohammad Amir, is reportedly in line for a possible international cricket comeback according to recent media reports. The left-arm quick, who had announced his retirement from all formats of the game in December 2020, had cited "mental torture" by team management as the reason for his decision.
Recent reports have suggested that the acting chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi, is interested in giving Amir one last chance.
Despite facing a five-year ban due to his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal during a 2010 Test match in England, Amir had made a comeback to the Pakistan team in 2016. He has since played 147 matches for Pakistan across formats, taking 259 wickets.
During his retirement, the southpaw has kept himself occupied by playing franchise cricket around the world. However, his performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023, where he bagged nine wickets in seven matches, has reignited the possibility of his return to the national side.
In PSL 2023, Amir had also made headlines for his comment on Pakistan captain Babar Azam, saying that he would not differentiate between Babar and a tailender while bowling for his team. The comment did not sit well with some Pakistan cricketers, including Shaheen Afridi, who suggested that Amir should show respect towards the captain of the Pakistan cricket team.
Former Pakistani captain, Shahid Afridi had even admitted to texting and scolding Amir after the latter threw a ball towards Babar in frustration during a PSL 8 match. Afridi had urged the bowler to focus on his performance, control his aggression, and go back home peacefully if he wanted to play for Pakistan.
With reported rifts with Babar and the emergence of other pacers such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, it is still uncertain whether the speculation regarding Amir's return to international cricket will materialize or not.