Mohammad Amir Made Wrong Decision To Retire From International Cricket, Feels Mohammad Asif

Former Pakistan pacer, Mohammad Asif boldly says that Mohammad Amir made an error by taking the decision to retire from international cricket at the age of 28. Amir said that he had no intentions of playing for Pakistan anymore as he was fed up with the management.

He also said that he was being ‘mentally tortured’ by the management. The left-arm pacer feels unfairly treated, particularly by head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach, Waqar Younis. He was unhappy after being left out from the T20 team for the tour to New Zealand.

To which, Mohammad Asif opines that both the board and the left-arm pacer are at fault. He says that on the surface it seems that the PCB should have handled Amir carefully after his return to international cricket post his ban for match-fixing in 2010, for which Asif was also imprisoned. However, Asif also claims that Amit made an impulsive decision by retiring from limited-overs cricket for his country.

“Both the Pakistan Cricket Board and Mohammad Amir are at fault regarding how his international career has turned out. The PCB showed a lot of faith in him and gave him a lot of support after his ban, but recently they have shown a lack of flexibility in what they want from him,” Asif was quoted as saying by The Cricketer..

“This has resulted in the current situation which could and should have been avoided for the sake of Pakistan cricket. At the same time, I feel that Amir has been a little impetuous in making the decision that he has and should have thought this through a little better,” he added.

Amir will regret this decision in the future: Mohammad Asif

The 38-year-old acknowledges that there are flaws in the management and the board. However, Asif still reckons that Amir retired too early as he might still hit his peak. Asif believes that Amir hasn’t respected the second chance given to him by the PCB and says that the pacer might regret his decision in the future.

With retirement from international cricket, Amir will focus solely on franchise cricket – he applied for a British visa last year, and it is rumoured that Amir is vying to play in the IPL. Asif, who snared 106 wickets in 23 Tests for Pakistan, says that T20 cricket may give Amir money and short-term happiness, but he won’t get the respect he would have got while playing for his country.

“Despite the flaws in the current group of coaches and the team management I still believe that Mohammad Amir has made the wrong decision in retiring from international cricket.”

“Perhaps it all came too easy for Amir after his ban and that’s why he is giving it all up now. All things considered, I feel he will regret this decision in the future, as playing in Twenty20 Leagues might be a short-term gain, but ultimately international cricket is where a player’s legacy is made,” Asif added.

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