Mohammad Amir praises Indian team management for backing Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammad Amir has once again talked about the lack of support he received from the Pakistan team management during his international career. The pacer cited the example of how the Indian think-tank backed Jasprit Bumrah early in his career.
Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from international cricket in December last year, claiming he was "mentally tortured" by the coaching staff - which included Waqar Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq.
Speaking to Cricket Pakistan in an interview, Amir pointed out how the Pakistan team management didn't give their players a longer rope, while the Indian team backed Jasprit Bumrah even after his under par displays.
"I think it is not the right mindset to look at the performance of only four or five matches. If you remember, [Jasprit] Bumrah had only one wicket in 16 matches when he was playing Australia series, but nobody questioned him because they knew that he is a match-winning bowler. That was the time they [Indian team management] should have supported him, and they did that," Mohammad Amir said.
The 28-year-old further added in this regard:
"You are given the job to help the player when he is not performing and not just discard him from the side. If it’s like this, then we should give you an entire team made up of players like Cristiano Ronaldo so that you can sit back and relax and do nothing."
After bursting onto the scene in 2009, Mohammad Amir endured a tough and controversial time in international cricket. The fast bowler, who retired from the international arena in December last year, continues to play in various franchise tournaments, including the PSL.
"Have no plans about taking back my retirement" - Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir, who made it clear that he is not planning to come out of his international retirement, added that he has no "personal issues" with the Pakistan team management.
"I’m enjoying cricket and spending time with my family and currently have no plans about taking back my retirement; if it was only about my performance, I would have never taken the decision about retirement. But their [team management] statements about me regarding my retirement from Test cricket really hurt me. I have no personal issue with them as they are my elders and legends of the game," Amir concluded.
The left-arm bowler has picked up four wickets in five PSL games this season at an economy of 7.75. The T20 event has been postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 inside the tournament bubble.