5 Pakistan cricketers who retired more than once ft. Mohammad Amir
Over the years, there have been a plethora of international cricketers who called it a day only to return to the field after some time. Prominent players like Moeen Ali, Kevin Pietersen, Dwayne Bravo and Javagal Srinath have all followed a similar route.
However, it has become somewhat of a tradition for Pakistan players to reverse their retirement and make a comeback to the field. Whether it be team politics, outside pressure, or their personal wishes, there have been notable players who backtracked and featured again for the Men in Green.
On that note, let's take a look at five Pakistan cricketers who retired more than once.
#1 Shahid Afridi
All-rounder Shahid Afridi possessed the ability to run through any batting line-up with his variations and provide quickfire cameos with the bat. After making his debut in 1998, Afridi played 26 Tests and announced temporary retirement from the format in 2006 to focus on ODIs.
However, two weeks later, Afridi made himself available after being persuaded by the PCB chairman to return. Interestingly, his next Test appearance came in 2010, against Australia as a captain. He then finally quit the format and never looked back.
In 2011, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket after the PCB sacked him from leadership following Pakistan's semi-final loss to India in the ODI World Cup. However, a few months later, he withdrew his decision and returned to the field.
#2 Imran Khan
Imran Khan cemented his place as one of Pakistan's greatest all-rounders across ODIs and Tests. He scored over 7,000 runs and scalped 544 wickets and was the country's certified match-winner.
After the conclusion of the 1987 World Cup, Imran decided to retire from international cricket at the age of 35. However, fans became impatient soon and wanted the return of their leader.
The then-President Zia-ul-Haq convinced Imran Khan to return to the field in 1988. He then led Pakistan to a historic 1992 World Cup victory and gracefully retired from international cricket. He went on to become the Prime Minister of the country but is currently in jail due to a corruption case.
#3 Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir had a sensational start to his international career in 2009, when he became the finest bowler for the side in his initial tours. However, the Lord's Test witnessed him overstepping on two occasions, and the extent of those no-balls posed a serious question.
Later, it was found that Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were involved in spot-fixing. The left-arm pacer received a five-year ban from ICC.
Amir then returned to international cricket in 2016 and featured across all formats. He played a key role in helping Pakistan script a dominant victory in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, with figures of 3/16. He played his final Test and ODI in 2019, and then retired from all formats in 2021.
However, Amir decided to come out of retirement to be available for selection for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The showpiece event saw the veteran pacer emerge as the side's best bowler with seven scalps, but they failed to reach the Super 8 stage.
On Saturday, December 14, Mohammad Amir took to social media to announce his retirement from international cricket once again.
#4 Imad Wasim
The left-handed all-rounder, Imad Wasim, made his white-ball debut in 2015. He garnered 1,540 runs and took 117 wickets in 130 appearances. After not being selected for the 2023 World Cup, Wasim bid farewell to international cricket.
However, he made a U-turn to come out of retirement after a successful PSL season, where he scored 126 runs and bagged 12 wickets. Wasim took the decision after meeting the PCB officials and made himself available for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Wasim had a mediocre T20 WC campaign, picking up three wickets and scoring 19 runs. On Friday, December 13, he took to X to announce his retirement from international cricket. The 35-year-old revealed that he will continue to play domestic and franchise cricket.
#5 Javed Miandad
One of the greatest batters to play for Pakistan, Javed Miandad made his international debut in an ODI fixture in 1975. He slammed over 16,000 runs, with 31 hundreds and 93 fifties. He emerged as the team's finest batter with 437 runs in the title-winning 1992 World Cup.
However, Wasim Akram dropped Miandad from the side in 1994 due to lackluster form. Then, the right-hander opted to retire from international cricket in a press conference, with his eyes filled with tears. As a result, the fans raised a slogan, 'No Miandad, No Cricket'.
The then-PM Benazir Bhutto urged the star cricketer to reconsider his decision and return to the field. After doing well in the trial games, Miandad was selected for the 1996 World Cup squad. However, after scoring only 54 runs in three innings as Pakistan failed to reach the semis, Miandad bid farewell for the final time.