Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir quits international cricket

Pakistan's Mohammad Amir looks on during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Lord's Cricket Ground in London on July 5, 2019. (AFP)
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Updated 17 December 2020
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Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir quits international cricket

  • Amir says was “mentally tortured” by Pakistan teammates and coaches, the national board, and by opponents wherever he played
  • The cricket board not thanking Amir for his services underlined the depth of the estrangement between them

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan officials confirmed fast bowler Mohammad Amir's engaging international cricket career ended on Thursday.
Amir announced his decision to local Samaa TV, saying he was “mentally tortured” by Pakistan teammates and coaches, the national board, and by opponents wherever he played. 

Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan then spoke to the 28-year-old Amir.
"He has no desires or intentions of playing international cricket and as such, he should not be considered for future international matches,” the PCB said in a statement.
“This is a personal decision of Mohammad Amir, which the PCB respects, and as such, will not make any further comment on this matter at this stage.”
The board not thanking Amir for his services underlined the depth of the estrangement between them.
The left-armer took 259 wickets across 36 tests, 61 one-day internationals and 50 Twenty20s.
Amir was 18 when he was banned in 2010 for five years and jailed for three months for spot-fixing in a test series in England. He was allowed to return to cricket a few months early and recalled by Pakistan in 2016.
In 2019 he no longer wanted to play tests, to focus on white-ball cricket and prolong his international career.
His last international was in August in a T20 against England. He was not part of the limited-overs home series against Zimbabwe and left out of the T20 series in New Zealand starting on Friday.
“I am leaving cricket for now because I'm being mentally tortured,” Amir told Samaa TV. "I don't think I can bear such torture.
"I've borne lots of torture from 2010 to 2015, for which I served my time. I've been tortured by being told the PCB invested a lot in me. I'll just say two people invested in me a lot: Najam Sethi (the former PCB chairman) and Shahid Afridi (former Pakistan captain). They were the only two.
"The rest of the team was saying we don't want to play with Amir.
“Recently, the atmosphere that's been created means I get taunted all the time by being told I don't want to play for my country. Every two months, someone says something against me. Sometimes the bowling coach (Waqar Younis) says Amir ditched us, sometimes I'm told my workload is unsatisfactory. Enough is enough.”


India captain says will travel for Pakistan clash despite boycott

Updated 05 February 2026
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India captain says will travel for Pakistan clash despite boycott

  • Pakistan have announced they will boycott their match against India on Feb. 15 in Sri Lanka 
  • India need to be at the stadium on Feb. 15 to ensure they are awarded two points for match

MUMBAI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav said Thursday that his team would show up in Colombo for their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, despite their Group A opponents and arch-rivals boycotting the match.

“We haven’t said no to playing them (Pakistan),” Yadav told reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, where India will begin their campaign against the United States on Saturday’s opening day.

“They are the ones who have said no. Our flights are booked and we are going to Colombo.”

India need to be at the stadium and ready to take the field for the February 15 match in order to make sure of being awarded the two points for a match forfeit.

The tournament, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, has been overshadowed by weeks of political posturing in the build-up.

Bangladesh were kicked out for refusing to play in India and Pakistan’s government then told its team not to show up at the clash of the arch-rivals as a show of support for Bangladesh.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments events.

India start the T20 World Cup on home soil with a great chance of retaining the title they won two years ago and Yadav agreed they were the side to beat.

“The way we have been playing, it looks like we are the favorites,” he smiled.

If that seemed like an overconfident statement, the India captain was quick to caution: “There are 19 (other) good teams in the tournament, though.

“On a given day, when you play, you have to bring your A-game and play good cricket.”

India know that their opening opponents, the United States, caused the biggest upset of the 2024 tournament when they beat Pakistan in a super over.

Yadav said no team would be taken lightly.

“I’m sure every game will be very important,” he said.