Pakistan’s star bowler Mohammad Amir has stunned cricket fans by announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket alleging harassment by those running cricket in his country. Amir, has represented Pakistan in 147 matches across different formats.
Speaking to a Pakistani TV channel, the charismatic fast bowler said, “I am leaving cricket for now because I’m being mentally tortured. I don’t think I can bear such torture. I’ve borne lots of torture from 2010 to 2015, for which I served my time. I’ve been tortured by being told the PCB invested a lot in me.”
He said that only two people had invested a lot in him and they were former PCB chairman Najam Sethi and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. “They were the only two. The rest of the team was saying, ‘we don’t want to play with Amir,” Amir added.
Amir said that he had been facing taunts and allegations that he had no desire to play for his country. “Every two months, someone says something against me. Sometimes the bowling coach [Waqar Younis] says Amir ditched us, sometimes I’m told my workload is unsatisfactory. Enough is enough,” he told Samaa TV.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement that Amir had indeed confirmed its chief, Wasim Khan, that he had no desire to play for the country, adding that he should not be considered for future matches.
Former India left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan tweeted, ‘Just faced this guy @iamamirofficial in the recent concluded #Lpl must say lots of cricket left in him. Bowling well as ever. Wish him well for future.”
Amir played for his country in 147 matches across three formats and took 250 wickets including 119 in the five-day format of the game. His haul of 259 wickets is the second most by a Pakistani left-arm pacer. Only seven other left-arm pacers have claimed more wickets in the history of international cricket in all formats.
Amir had to serve five years in wilderness following a ban by the ICC for match fixing. Many experts say that the bowler had the potential to achieve legendary status had he not been implicated in the match-fixing scandal.