Mohammad Amir is rumoured to be making a sensational return to international cricket with Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) acting head Najam Sethi keen to award the pacer one final chance.
The left-armer has not represented Pakistan since 2020 after quitting international cricket due to reported differences with then-head coach Misbah ul Haq. His retirement cut short his stint with the Green Shirts which had resumed in 2016 following his five-year ban for spot-fixing.
The 30-year-old then turned his attention to franchise cricket in order to build his reputation back up.
After applying his trade all over the world, season 8 of the Pakistan Super League was when the prospects of his return to the national side were renewed.
Amir finished 14th on the wicket-takers list in PSL 8 with 9 scalps in seven games with injury playing a factor as well. He showed enough glimpses of his previous self to catch the eye of PCB’s selection committee.
While Mohammad Amir earning redemption by returning to international cricket and serving Pakistan once again will be a Hollywood story, PCB needs to consider the implications of his selection.
Amir’s reputation has widely changed in recent years and his reported discord with captain Babar Azam threatens to undo the work the international side has undertaken to build a reliable team.
There is also the fact that Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and now Ihsanullah are ahead of him in the queue for consideration when selecting international squads so his return may not add as much value as intended.
Whether PCB sees things the same way remains to be seen.
