Mohammad Amir may play in ICC T20 World Cup after retirement U-turn

Mohammad Amir, a retired Pakistani fast bowler has decided to make a comeback and has expressed his willingness to participate in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

Pakistan's squad for the upcoming ICC Twenty20 World Cup in June has been announced in a significant development. One notable inclusion is fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who has made it into the 29 cricketers selected for training at the country's military base. This decision highlights the team's strategic preparations and the importance of Amir's skills in the upcoming tournament.

Amir's addition to the team is a result of his recent return from retirement, coinciding with the cricket board's modifications to the selection process. These changes have instilled a sense of importance and value in Amir.

Surprisingly, the talented left-arm bowler retired from international cricket at 28. In a candid statement, he revealed that he could no longer continue playing under the previous management, citing mental torture as the reason behind his departure.

The dream of playing for Pakistan still burns brightly in their heart! Life often presents us with moments that require us to reevaluate our choices," he shared on Sunday via social media platform X.

Following productive discussions with officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he expressed his satisfaction with the PCB's efforts to make him feel valued and confident in his ability to continue representing Pakistan.

The 31-year-old confidently expressed their availability for consideration in the upcoming T20WC.

Amir's career took an unexpected turn in 2010 when he, along with then-Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fellow pacer Mohammad Asif, faced a five-year ban due to their involvement in a spot-fixing scandal. All three individuals were sentenced to imprisonment by a British court.

Amir made his comeback for Pakistan in 2016. He has an impressive record, having played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is for Pakistan.

His impressive record includes 259 wickets at the international level, with 59 of those being in the shortest format of the game. He was a member of Pakistan's T20 World Cup winning squad in 2009 during his teenage years. In 2017, he was crucial in Pakistan's victorious campaign at the Champions Trophy in England.

Amir's announcement followed closely on the heels of all-rounder Imad Wasim's surprising reversal of his retirement decision. He declared himself ready to compete in this year's World Cup. Wasim has been included in the squad, which was announced on Monday.

There have been recent changes in the selection panel

In a recent development, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has revealed a seven-member selection panel, which includes the captain and head coach as part of the process.

"We have changed the selection committee, which now consists of seven members. However, what sets this reorganisation apart is the absence of a chairman," Naqvi announced during a press conference. He further emphasized that each member would possess "equal powers."

The line-up includes former captain Mohammad Yousuf, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, and Asad Shafiq, who represent Pakistan. The current captain, the head coach, and a data analyst will join them.

Pakistan currently lacks a head coach after their disappointing performance in the World Cup (50 overs) held in India last year, where they fell short of qualifying for the semi-finals.

Following his decision, Babar Azam relinquished the captaincy across all formats, making way for Shan Masood as the Test captain and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I captain.

Under the leadership of team director Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan faced a challenging 3-0 Test whitewash in Australia and a disappointing 4-1 series defeat in a T20I series in New Zealand.

Naqvi left the question of Shaheen's captaincy open, stating that the selection committee will determine the T20I captain after the training camp.

In recent developments, the chairman has announced restoring a central contract for fast bowler Haris Rauf. This decision comes after Rauf's suspension last month due to his refusal to participate in Tests in Australia.

"There was some misunderstanding, so we have restored Rauf's central contract," stated Naqvi.

Pakistan is set to engage in a series of T20Is, starting with five matches against New Zealand on their home turf. They will then play two games in Ireland and four in England. Pakistan will participate in the highly anticipated T20 World Cup following these encounters. Their campaign will commence on June 6 against co-hosts United States. Next up, they have a showdown with India in New York on June 9, followed by their last group match against Canada on June 11.

The list of players selected for the training camp is quite impressive. It includes well-known names like Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. These players have proven themselves on the field and have the potential to make a significant impact.

Additionally, there are some promising young talents like Naseem Shah and Mohammad Rizwan has shown great potential. Overall, this group of players has the skills and abilities to perform at a high level and contribute to the team.

The players named for the training camp are: Aamir Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Haseebullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Irfan Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan and Zaman Khan.