If a player asks for rest, he is dropped: Mohammad Amir says there is more negativity than positivity in Pakistan cricket
Pakistani speedster Mohammad Amir has stated that the national team management does not understand the Pakistan players' needs. The Karachi Kings star also said that there was a 'fear' among the cricketers of getting dropped from the international squad if they asked for a rest.
In an interview with News One channel on Tuesday, Mohammad Amir spoke about the communication gap between the Pakistan cricket team and the management. He opined that there was more negativity than positivity in Pakistan cricket.
There is a mindset in Pakistan cricket where players are scared of being dropped from the team: Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir was billed to be the next big thing in Pakistan cricket. Unfortunately, the left-arm fast bowler earned himself a five-year ban after the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal.
After a long break, Amir returned to international cricket but felt that the backroom staff did not manage his workload to perfection. Subsequently, the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winner had to quit Test cricket.
"Mickey Arthur was our head coach and anyone can ask him this. I was telling him since 2017 that if my workload is not managed I would have to leave Test cricket. After I announced my decision no one spoke to me for six months about it and a controversy was only created around my decision when we lost in Australia," Mohammad Amir said.
The 28-year-old added that 'people' lacked common sense, and there was nothing he could do about that. Amir also mentioned that he took pain killers during the Cricket World Cup last year in England.
Recently, the selectors dropped him from the squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour. Referring to that call, Amir continued:
"The problem is that if a player musters the courage to say in Pakistan cricket that he wants rest, he is dropped, so players are now scared about speaking about it with the management. There is a mindset in Pakistan cricket where players are scared of being dropped from the team."
In Amir's view, removing the gap between the players and the management was the need of the hour in Pakistan cricket.
"There is more negativity than positivity in Pakistan cricket," the southpaw concluded.
Mohammad Amir is currently representing the Galle Gladiators in Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2020. Last night, he was involved in an argument with Kandy Tuskers' player Naveen-ul-Haq.