Amir motivated to regain his place in Pakistan squad after New Zealand snub

The Pakistan fast bowler says he is disappointed at having been overlooked for the tour of New Zealand.

Published : Nov 25, 2020 19:08 IST

Pakistan's Mohammad Amir makes an unsuccessful appeal during the Cricket World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Headingley in Leeds, England, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Pakistan's Mohammad Amir makes an unsuccessful appeal during the Cricket World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Headingley in Leeds, England, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
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Pakistan's Mohammad Amir makes an unsuccessful appeal during the Cricket World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Headingley in Leeds, England, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir has vowed to bounce back and return to the Pakistan team after being overlooked for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

Pakistan plays three T20s and two Tests in New Zealand starting December 18.

'Disappointing'

“It was disappointing as I was expecting to be part of the squad (for New Zealand tour). It was the selector’s decision but this motivates me to perform in a better manner, improve my fitness and regain my place in the side,” Amir told Cricket Pakistan .

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“The New Zealand tour could be make-or-break for many cricketers, which has also been the case in the past as well. The conditions are difficult for batting while the bowlers also have small margin of error due to small boundaries. So the players, especially the youngsters, who perform well can improve their career trajectory,” he added.

'Oil change'

Amir also opened up about his retirement from Test cricket and the criticism that followed.

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“People talk about my age and retirement but they don’t realise that I did not play cricket for five years. Even if you don’t start your car for a week, even that needs oil change to get it running properly once again,” said the 28-year-old who quit Tests last year.

“My workload management was becoming a major issue which forced me to take that decision. I was continuously facing fitness issues and our physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon can confirm that I was No. 1 in the treatment list, during the England tour in 2018. If I had played all formats, I would have retired from international cricket by now.”

Amir, who has represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 50 T20 internationals is presently in Sri Lanka for the Lanka Premier League.

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