KARACHI: Fast bowler Mohammad Amir on Sunday said that he reconsidered his decision regarding international retirement after “few positive” discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and announced his availability for the ICC T20 World Cup starting in June.
In 2020, the veteran pacer had announced his retirement and said that he was being “mentally tortured” by the PCB management.
The cricketer was referring to the infamous scandal in 2010 when he was implicated in allegations of spot-fixing for bowling two deliberate no-balls in return for payment as part of a betting scam in the Lord’s Test against England.
He was subsequently questioned by Scotland Yard along with teammates Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt and pleaded guilty. He was convicted in November 2011 and banned from playing for five years.
He had said that the current environment at the PCB and the way he was sidelined from the 35-member squad for the New Zealand tour was a “wake-up call” for him.
Earlier, while speaking to the press in Lahore, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the board — while pointing to Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz — will decide regarding the pacer’s future.
In a post on X, Amir said that the board respectfully told him that his services were needed and he could still play for the side.
“After discussing with family and well-wishers, I declare that I am available to be considered for the upcoming t20WC [ICC T20 World Cup],” he said.
“I want [to] do this for my country as it comes before my personal decisions,” he added.
“Donning the green jersey and serving my country has always been, and will continue to be my greatest aspirations,” he said.
The spot-fixing scandal
Amir had announced his retirement in 2020, claiming that he was being “mentally tortured” by the PCB management.
Amir was in the middle of the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal where he had bowled two deliberate no-balls in return for payment in the Lord’s Test against England. He pleaded guilty and was banned from playing for five years.
Now 31, Amir has given ample demonstration of his abilities in the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. Before he retired, Amir had played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is for Pakistan. His last game for the country was in 2020. The pacer was part of the Pakistan cricket team which won the ICC T20 World Cup 2009 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
He famously bowled the devastating spell in the Champions Trophy 2017 final against India where he scalped Rohit Sharma, Shikar Dhawan and Virat Kohli as Pakistan went on to win the title.
Agencies

Agencies