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LAHORE: Pakistan’s head coach Misbahul Haq has reiterated that he has no personal issue with Mohammad Amir as the latter is always welcome to join the team.
“Doors are open for Mohammad Amir to return to the Pakistan cricket team if he took back his retirement and his performance improved,” the former captain said while addressing a press conference before the team heads for the England and West Indies tours.
Misbah said, “Like I have said before, Amir was dropped because of injuries and performance and later he announced retirement. If he takes back his retirement and his performance improves, then I’ve always said that the door is open for every player.”
“He made a comeback when I was captain and later as a coach. Last year, he wasn’t able to travel with us to England due to some family issues but as soon as they were resolved we straightaway included him in the squad,” he added.
The head coach further said, “I don’t know why this issue has been created and why Amir thinks like that. If we stays, performs well and the team needs him, he will considered for selection. Whatever happened in the past, I don’t think about it.”
Commenting on the upcoming tours, the head coach called it a fantastic opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. “I have the experience and belief that the more you play against good teams, the better your preparation is,” he added.
Misbah said that concerns about performance or middle order issues were valid and they would be worked on in the upcoming tours. “We will make the effort to overcome these problems in these two series,” he added.
Amir’s retirement
Amir had in December 2020 announced his retirement from international cricket, alleging that he was being “mentally tortured” by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management.
“The kind of environment that has been created, I don’t think I can play cricket under this management. I am leaving cricket at this time,” he had said.
According to a PCB press release at the time, Amir had confirmed that “he has no desire or intention of playing international cricket and as such, he should not be considered for future international matches.”