Mohammad Amir blames 90s cricketers for his early retirement

Former Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir has finally revealed why he took early retirement from international cricket.

Speaking on a private TV channel's program about Champions Trophy 2025, Amir opened up about the difficulties he faced in his career. He recalled a time when Pakistan was set to tour New Zealand during the COVID era, but his name was not included.

"Pakistan team was going to New Zealand during COVID. Forty players were selected, but my name was not there," Amir revealed.

He further shared how the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was about to start, but the national team's squad was announced beforehand to prevent players like him and Shoaib Malik from performing well and forcing their way into the team.

"PSL was about to start, but they announced the team early so that Amir and Malik wouldn't perform well and they wouldn't have to take us," he said.

Amir also criticized former head coach Waqar Younis, accusing him of taking biased decisions. He claimed that some former cricketers from the 90s actively tried to ruin his career.

"A former cricketer from the 90s tried his best to destroy my career," Amir stated.

Reflecting on his PSL performance, Amir recalled how he bowled a Super Over for Karachi Kings, leading the team to the final.

He said that one of the members of the coaching staff was from the 90s era and that people were questioning his decision to exclude Amir from the 40-member squad.

"Everyone was asking him why Amir was not in the New Zealand squad despite performing well," Amir said.

According to Amir, the former coach responded vaguely, saying, "He is in our plans, but we need to keep him under pressure for now. We will see later."

Mohammad Amir initially retired from international cricket in 2020, citing concerns over his treatment by the team management. Before the T20 World Cup 2024, Amir took back the retirement, after which he was made a part of the national team.

However, the left-arm fast bowler retired from international cricket again on December 14, 2024.