Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has quit international cricket after a major falling out with team management and the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Amir said that the snub for the 35-man touring squad named for the trip to New Zealand was an eye opener for him.
Amir has his eyes opened
The quick has been in and out of the squad for the last year despite major injuries to the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali and feels that holding out hope for a recall has put him through psychological anguish.
Amir indicated that he wold continue to play the game having just competed in the Lanka Premier League T20 tournament with eventual champions Galle Gladiators.
“No, I am not going away from cricket. If you have seen the way the atmosphere over here and the way I have been sidelined. I got a wake-up call there when I was not selected in 35 boys. If I don’t get selected in 35-member squad, then it means to wake up call for me,” Amir said in a video shared by journalist Shoaib Jatt.
Watch: Mohammad Amir announces his retirement from international cricket
Amir feels that he is still being punished for his spot-fixing indiscrection, which he committed as a teenager and serve a six-year ban from all cricket for and has a patchy history with former skipper and current coach Misbah-ul-Haq.
“I don’t think I can play cricket under this management. I think I should leave cricket this time. I am being tortured mentally,” Amir added.
“I don’t think I can tolerate any more torture now. I have seen a lot of torture from 2010 to 2015. I was away from the game and sentenced for my mistake.”
The 29-year-old left-arm quick thanked former PCB chairman Najam Sethi and former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi for supporting his career and encourging him during his comeback.
“I am being tortured again and again that PCB invested in me. I still give credit to the two people from PCB. I returned after completing the sentence of five years. Not that I returned after a year. Sethi sahab and Shahid Afridi, were the two people whom I will thank forever. Both of them supported me at a tough time. The rest of the team said that we will not play with Mohammad Amir.”
Amir has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 50 T20Is for Pakistan.
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