Mohammad Amir Was Made An Issue For No Reason: Shahid Afridi

Former Pakistan all-rounder, Shahid Afridi has aired his views regarding the allegations of the recently retired pacer, Mohammad Amir on the coaching staff. Amir, who announced a sudden retirement from international at the age of 28, said that he was ‘mentally tortured’ by the management, comprising of head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, and bowling coach, Waqar Younis.

Shahid Afridi says that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should take care of the mental health of the players who are dropped from the squad. For instance, Amir was disappointed after being dropped from the T20 squad to tour New Zealand, which had a role in his retirement. The superstar all-rounder believes that the issue of Mohammad Amir was blown out of proportion.

“This is not a good tradition. The board has a sort of parental relationship with its cricketers. Whether it is Mohammad Amir or any other player, the PCB should communicate its plans with them so that they mentally prepare themselves if they are dropped due to any issues. It would be better if the chairman or chief selector talks to the players rather than the coaching staff. Mohammad Amir was made an issue for no reason,” Shahid Afridi said while speaking to the media.

Rahul Dravid has done wonders for India at junior cricket: Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, who scored more than 10,000 runs for Pakistan and picked over 500 international wickets. cites the example of Rahul Dravid to other former Pakistani players. Afridi has had problems in the past with former captain Misbah-ul-Haq and says that other former legends as well should help the PCB nurturing young talents and taking care of the youngsters rather than just eyeing for the role in the coaching department.

Rahul Dravid since his retirement from playing cricket has been involved extensively in developing youth cricket in India. Under the coaching of Dravid, India won the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. The legendary batsman is currently the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).