LAHORE: Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir has made a remarkable return to Pakistan’s national cricket squad after an absence of nearly four years. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee announced his inclusion in the 17-man squad for the upcoming T20 home series against New Zealand.
Amir’s last T20 international was against England in August 2020 before he decided to step away from international cricket, citing mental strain. However, he recently expressed his availability for the upcoming T20 World Cup following “positive discussions” with PCB officials.
Amir becomes the second Pakistani player to come out of retirement and express interest in returning to international cricket last month, the other being all-rounder Imad Wasim, who is also selected for the New Zealand series.
Wahab Riaz, a member of the selection committee, stated at the PCB headquarters in Lahore that the decision to include Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir was straightforward, considering their availability for selection and the injury to Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz’s current form. Riaz expressed confidence in both Amir and Imad’s match-winning abilities, expecting them to contribute significantly to the team’s objectives.
In his T20 career, Amir has played 50 matches, claiming 59 wickets at an economy rate of 7.02. On the other hand, Wasim has featured in 66 T20Is, scoring 486 runs with a strike rate of 131.7 and taking 65 wickets at an economy rate of 6.26. Wasim’s last appearance for Pakistan was 12 months ago at his home ground in Rawalpindi against New Zealand.
The national squad also includes notable inclusions such as former UAE cricketer Usman Khan and the uncapped Irfan Khan. Usman Khan’s exceptional performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9, where he scored two centuries and two half-centuries, earned him a place in the squad. However, pacer Haris Rauf has been omitted due to an ongoing recovery from a shoulder injury that curtailed his PSL 9 campaign.
Squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohmmad Amir,, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan and Zaman Khan.
Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, and Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan-New Zealand series schedule:
18 April – 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
20 April – 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi
21 April – 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi
25 April – 4th T20I, Lahore
27 April – 5th T20I, Lahore
