'It’s Pakistan cricket, it’s not yours, have to do right things': Waqar Younis on how Amir can return to national team
Fast bowling great and Pakistan's bowling coach Waqar Younis has listed down pointers for Mohammad Amir to follow in order to make a comeback into the international side.
Ever since Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir announced his unforeseen and unexpected retirement from international cricket late in 2020, the discussions and debate on his potential return continue to pick up pace. The latest to join the bandwagon is the national team's bowling coach, Waqar Younis.
Amir took the cricketing world by storm with his shocking retirement last season, saying he was mentally tortured by teammates and coaches. In a recent turn of events recently, however, he reportedly met with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Wasim Khan, giving rise to speculations about his return before the forthcoming T20 World Cup in October.
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Younis, who is currently with the national team in England for a three-match ODI and T20I series, said he will need to bring about certain changes.
“No doubt he’s a fine cricketer, but if he doesn’t want to take his retirement back and impress selectors by playing cricket, it will be hard,” Younis told reporters via videoconference from England on Monday.
“It’s Pakistan cricket, it’s not yours or my cricket (team), you have to do the right things to play for your country. This is not a franchise cricket and one got to remember that.”
Younis said he was not aware about any meeting between Khan and Amir.
“To be honest I didn’t know about this (meeting),” he said. “He (Khan) is head of the cricket and he has every right to meet whosoever he wants to see; he went there in his personal capacity and we didn’t know about it.”
Amir played for Karachi Kings in the PSL, but could take only five wickets in 11 matches at an average of 69.80. Karachi was knocked out after losing both of their playoffs.
Amir took 259 wickets across 36 Tests, 61 one-day internationals and 50 T20s.
He was 18 when he was banned in 2010 for five years and jailed for three months for spot-fixing in a Test series in England. He was allowed to return to cricket a few months early and recalled by Pakistan in 2016.
In 2019 he no longer wanted to play Tests, to focus on white-ball cricket and prolong his international career.
Amir's last international was in August 2020 in a T20I against England.
(With inputs from AP)