Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir expressed his reaction after being named in the squad on Tuesday for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand on home soil. He made a comeback to the squad after reversing his retirement from international cricket.
Taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Amir said “Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem” which translates to “in the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful”.
Wahab Riaz, a member of the national selection committee, elaborated on the reason behind Amir’s selection while announcing the squad during a press conference in Lahore. Riaz highlighted Amir’s performance and the need for reliable players due to numerous injury concerns in the team.
Having faced a ban from international cricket for five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as a result of a spot-fixing case in 2010, Amir also underwent a six-month custodial sentence in young offenders institutes.
Since his return in 2016, the 31-year-old played a vital role in Pakistan’s triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, notably delivering a remarkable performance in the final against arch-rivals India.
Amir’s memorable spell in the final included dismissals of top Indian batsmen such as Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli.
Despite his success, Amir decided to retire from international cricket in December 2020 at the age of 28 citing mental torture under the management.
Having represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 One-Day Internationals, and 50 T20s, Amir will be a key figure in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
The T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand is scheduled to take place at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on 18, 20, and 21 April followed by matches in Lahore on 25 and 27 April.