Pakistan speedster Mohammad Amir, who faced a lot of criticism after retiring from Test cricket in July last year, has backed his decision by saying he suffered from fatigue and that quitting red-ball cricket was right for his body.
“Everyone has their opinion. I know my body the best. I felt my body was getting overloaded. I couldn’t manage. To prolong my career, I had to take the decision, which was supported by my family. I am feeling much better and the results are visible,” Amir was quoted as saying in middle-eastern daily The National.
“Five-year gap (talking about his punishment due to the spot-fixing scandal in 2010) is a lot for a bowler. When I came back, I played continuously for three straight years and that too in all formats. Fatigue was bound to happen, especially for fast bowlers. But now I am feeling much better, Alhamdulillah. When your focus is on one thing and you are mentally and physically fresh, you can deliver and perform better,” the 27-year-old added.
Amir, after making his international comeback in 2016, played all the three formats almost without rest. With a lack of quality bowlers in the squad, he was also handed over the responsibility to lead the Pakistani attack in all formats.
During the time of his Test retirement, Amir boasted impressive numbers with 119 wickets from 36 matches at an average of 30.47. Thus, it came as a shocker to the cricket world to see one of the best bowlers of the generation deciding to step away at an early stage of his career.