Mohammad Amir’s Shocking Retirement Announcement

This week the cricket world was shocked by the announcement from Mohammad Amir, the Pakistani fast bowler. It was announced that he is retiring from Test cricket with immediate effect.

Mohammad Amir

The now 27-year-old Amir made it clear that he is only retiring from test cricket. The world will still see this left-arm fast bowler in action during Twenty20 internationals and one-day games. Amir made his debut at the age of 17 in 2009 during a match against Sri Lanka. During his career, he played 36 Tests for Pakistan. During these he took 119 wickets, giving him a 30.47 average. His record was against the Windies with six for 44 in April 2017. His stronghold in cricket has always been limited-overs cricket. This help the Pakistan team a great deal towards winning in 2017, the Champions Trophy title. Amir was also part of the group of bowlers picked for the recent 50-overs World Cup held in England, during which he took 17 wickets. The team just missed a spot in the semi-finals while ending fifth in the group. He made his announcement through the Pakistan Cricket Board. His focus will now be on white-ball cricket only. He also mentioned that he is focusing on getting into the best physical shape he can. Although the years playing for Pakistan formed him into a great cricket player and much stronger human being, it came with some adversity as well.

Jailed for Game Fixing

Shortly after making his debut in 2009, Amir was one of three players involved in a conspiracy and was sent to jail. They were the then 28-year-old Mohammad Asif sent to prison for one year, then Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt, sent to prison for 30 months and Amir, only 19 years old, sent to prison for six months. They were found guilty of the conspiracy of bowling no-balls during a test match against England. Each of the three players also received a fine to pay. Their arrest was made in August 2010 just after the fourth Test between England and Pakistan. To manipulate the timing of no-balls is a significant role player with spot-fixing in the sports betting market. According to resources, Amir was paid £2,500 for his contribution in the conspiracy. His fine amounted to £8,120. In the end, he served three months in jail and had a five-year ban from cricket. He only returned to the Pakistan cricket scene again in 2016.

The Future for Mohammad Amir

Ideally, he wants to be in the best shape he can be to contribute to his team’s success. One of the challenges which he is looking forward to is the ICC T20 World Cup. Even the adversity which he had to suffer in his youth couldn’t stop him from achieving greatness in the cricket world. He made mistakes in his youth and paid the price. His teammates will miss his personality and skill on the field and in the dressing room.