‘Faced this guy in the LPL, lots of cricket left in him’ - Irfan Pathan reacts to Mohammad Amir’s retirement

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has stated that Mohammad Amir still has a lot to offer to the game. The Pakistani left-arm seamer announced his international retirement after the Lanka Premier League tournament that concluded recently.

Taking to his official Twitter account, Irfan Pathan, while wishing Mohammad Amir well for the future, wrote:

“Just faced this guy @iamamirofficial in the recent concluded #Lpl must say lots of cricket left in him. Bowling well as ever. Wish him well for future #amirretires”

Just faced this guy @iamamirofficial in the recent concluded #Lpl must say lots of cricket left in him. Bowling well as ever. Wish him well for future #amirretires

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 17, 2020

While Irfan Pathan represented Kandya Tuskers in the LPL 2020, Mohammad Amir turned out for Galle Gladiators, who finished as runners-up in the tournament.

Mohammad Amir was the fifth highest wicket-taker in the LPL 2020. He claimed 11 wickets in 10 matches at a strike rate of 20.7 and an economy rate of 7.73. His best of 5 for 26 came in a league clash against Colombo Kings.

Why did Mohammad Amir announce his retirement at the age of 28?

On Thursday, left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir, once seen as the future of Pakistan cricket, announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 28, alleging mental torture. Mohammad Amir was left out of the Pakistan team for the New Zealand T20Is. According to him, this was a wake-up call.

.@iamamirofficial announces retirement from cricket and said he cannot work with current management. Do you agree with his statement?#Cricket #Pakistan #MohammadAmir #Gojra #PCB #Rawalpindi #GalleGladiators #LPLT20 #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/Sr7FdupVbp

— Khel Shel (@khelshel) December 17, 2020

The disgruntled pacer stated that he will release a detailed note on the reasons behind the major decision. In a video released by Khel Shel, Amir claimed that he had been tortured from 2010 to 2015. He was heard saying:

"I don't think I can play cricket under this management. I think I should leave cricket this time.”

Mohammad Amir thanked former PCB chairman Najam Sethi and ex-Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi for supporting him through tough times. He also added that other members of the Pakistan team refused to play with him.

Earlier, in June 2019, Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from Test cricket, citing workload issues.

Mohammad Amir played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 50 T20Is for Pakistan, claiming 119, 81 and 59 wickets respectively. He was part of the 2009 T20 World Cup-winning team and also played a stellar role in the team’s 2017 Champions Trophy win over India.