Pakistan's Mohammad Amir retires from international cricket, saying he had been "mentally tortured" by team management; left-arm fast bowler played 147 times for his country across all three formats, taking a combined 259 wickets, including 119 in Test cricket
Thursday 17 December 2020 15:38, UK
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has retired from all international cricket at the age of 28 after claiming he had been "mentally tortured" by team management.
Amir, who quit Test cricket in 2019, played 147 times for his country across all three formats, taking a combined 259 wickets.
The left-arm seamer was jailed for six months in 2011 and banned from playing cricket for five years for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan's tour of England.
Speaking to Samaa TV on Thursday, Amir said: "I am leaving cricket for now because I'm being mentally tortured. I don't think I can bear such torture."
"I've borne lots of torture from 2010 to 2015, for which I served my time. I've been tortured by being told the PCB invested a lot in me
"I'll just say two people invested in me a lot: [former PCB chairman] Najam Sethi and [former Pakistan captain] Shahid Afridi. They were the only two. The rest of the team was saying, 'we don't want to play with Amir'.
"Recently, the atmosphere that's been created means I get taunted all the time by being told I don't want to play for my country.
"Every two months, someone says something against me. Sometimes the bowling coach [Waqar Younis] says Amir ditched us, sometimes I'm told my workload is unsatisfactory. Enough is enough."
The Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement: "Wasim Khan spoke with Mohammad Amir following reports that the fast bowler had announced his retirement from international cricket.
"The 28-year-old confirmed to the PCB chief executive that he has no desires or intentions of playing international cricket and as such, he should not be considered for future international matches.
"This is a personal decision of Mohammad Amir, which the PCB respects, and as such, will not make any further comment on this matter at this stage."
Amir's last appearance for Pakistan was in the second of three T20s against England at Emirates Old Trafford in August.
