Not age, Mohammad Amir reveals shocking truth behind early retirement

Mohammad Amir (Pic: File Pic)

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir said he felt ignored by the national cricket team after conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2024, while adding that a lack of communication was the reason for drawing curtains to his international career.

Amir, along with Imad Wasim, came out of their retirements to feature in the T20 World Cup last year. However, Pakistan, champions of 2009 World Twenty20, failed to seal their spot in the Super Eight stage.

"I felt sidelined and ignored by the Pakistan cricket setup after the T20 World Cup. After the T20 World Cup ended, no one even talked to me. No one told me if I was part of the future plans," said Amir, during an interview to a local news channel.

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"A wise person understands the signs if you're not in the plans, then you have to think about yourself. That's exactly what I did. I've made up my mind now, thank you very much, international cricket," he said.

Previously, the 33-year-old pacer retired from the international circuit in December 2020 after citing issues with coaches Misbah Ul Haq and Waqar Younis.

The pacer further revealed that he rejected the offer of playing County cricket after the national board asked him to feature in the T20 World Cup 2024. "Honestly speaking, I ended up spending more money than I made. I travelled with my trainer, and all those expenses came out of my own pocket. But that's a different matter," Amir said.

When asked if he backed players to have an aggressive mindset in cricket, Amir remarked: "Cricket used to be fierce. Being mentally aggressive is part of the game's beauty. It's not about disrespect, it's about shifting the batter's focus. Off the field, we all hang out and joke around."

Amir also backed Pakistan's premier batsman, Babar Azam, to come out of his ongoing batting struggles.

(With PTI inputs)