"This is not franchise cricket" - Waqar Younis on Mohammad Amir's potential international comeback
Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis has opined that pacer Mohammad Amir will find it tough to make a comeback to international cricket. According to Younis, Amir will have to prove himself in domestic cricket if he harbors hopes of returning to the Pakistan team.
Amir announced his shock retirement from international cricket in December last year, alleging mental torture by the PCB regime. According to some media reports, Amir met with PCB chief executive Wasim Khan earlier this year, leading to speculation of the left-arm pacer’s international comeback.
Speaking to reporters at a virtual press conference in England, Younis said about Amir:
"No doubt he's a fine cricketer, but if he doesn't want to take his retirement back and impress selectors by playing cricket, it will be hard. It's Pakistan cricket, it's not yours or my cricket (team), you have to do the right things to play for your country. This is not a franchise cricket and one got to remember that."
The Pakistan legend added that he had no idea about the reported meeting between Amir and PCB chief Khan. Younis added:
"To be honest I didn't know about this (meeting). He (Khan) is head of the cricket and he has every right to meet whosoever he wants to see; he went there in his personal capacity and we didn't know about it."
Shoaib Akhtar lashes out at Mohammad Amir
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has lashed out at senior bowlers Amir and Wahab Riaz for prioritizing white-ball cricket over Test matches. Both Amir and Riaz had retired from Test cricket to focus on the shorter formats.
Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Akhtar stated:
“If the policies were in my hand, I would have told the players that if you want to play for Pakistan then you have to play Test cricket. I will manage you, I will make you a star. I want 12 Tests in a year and I will make you train and teach you. Even then if he doesn’t do the needful, no central contract. You won’t even play T20s”.
Akhtar added that if senior cricketers like Amir don’t want to play Test cricket, the PCB would do better to focus on grooming youngsters. He added:
“I will tell them (senior players) to not play T20Is too and go home and take rest. I would rather work with 16-year-olds. I would bring boys from all over Pakistan and invest in them.”
Amir recently turned out for the Karachi Kings in PSL 2021. He had a poor run, managing only five wickets in 11 matches at an average of 69.80.