Sad and untimely exit of a potential superstar: Ramiz Raja reacts to Mohammad Amir's retirement

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja described the retirement of left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir as an untimely exit of a potential superstar.

Mohammad Amir, 28, announced his retirement earlier today, alleging mental torture from the Pakistan Cricket Board. This marked the end of an international career which spanned over 11 years.

Ramiz Raja went on to advise the younger players to respect their talent and understand their responsibilities. He wants the players to understand how a career marred by controversies can come to an abrupt end.

“Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential super star! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities. Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy sh**!” tweeted Raja.

Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential super star! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities. Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy shit!

— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) December 17, 2020

Amir had made his debut for Pakistan as a 17-year-old in 2009. He impressed fans with his pace and skillset and was seen as a future superstar. However, Amir faced corruption charges in 2010 and was banned from playing cricket for five years.

Mohammad Amir’s decision comes after being omitted from Pakistan’s squad for the New Zealand tour

Pakistan recently sent a squad of 35 players for the tour to New Zealand, which includes three T20Is and two Test matches. However, Amir was not included in the squad.

Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq revealed that the players who were selected for all the teams were picked in a bid to encourage younger talent. The 28-year-old had retired from the longer format last year, citing the need to prolong his limited-overs career.

The left-arm seamer had been quite vocal in his criticism of the team management and PCB after his exclusion from the tour of New Zealand. He finally called time on his career and announced his retirement to the media.

JUST IN: PCB have confirmed that Mohammad Amir has stepped down from international cricket.🇵🇰 147 internationals☝️ 259 wickets🎖️ 2009 @T20WorldCup champion🏆 2017 ICC Champions Trophy winnerWhat is your favourite moment of the Pakistan pace bowler? pic.twitter.com/ilUAaZxSrM

— ICC (@ICC) December 17, 2020