Amir had an obligation to help Pakistan cricket in tough situations: Mohammad Asif
May 04, 2020
Lahore [Pakistan], May 4 : Former pacer Mohammad Asif believes that Mohammad Amir had an obligation to help Pakistan cricket in tough situations.
Asif was referring to Amir's decision to retire from the longest format of the game at just the age of 27.
"I curse the PCB for how they rescued his career. But it was his obligation to help Pakistan cricket in a tough situation and he should have stayed, especially when they had helped him return," ESPNCricinfo quoted Asif as saying.
"Anyway, it's the PCB's decision to let him go, but if he is meant to leave Test cricket at this age, it really is a curse upon those who fought so hard to bring him back. And did anyone ever take Amir's name, saying he was the toughest bowler to handle? Definitely no," he added.
Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, and Salman Butt were involved in a spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.
All three were handed substantial bans, but Pakistan decided to bring back Amir in international cricket in 2016.
Amir then shook the world with this announcement of retiring from the longest format in Jule 2019. He finished his test career with an average of 30.47 and taking 119 wickets. His decision was criticised by many former Pakistan cricketers like Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar.
"It's about how compassionate you are. If the PCB invested so much in you then it's your duty to rescue them in Test cricket. If they had done the same with me, then I'd still be available to rescue Pakistan in Test cricket for the next two years. I know there are fitness standards, but I can work that out and whatever is required I can do it," Asif said.
Asif played 23 Tests, 38 ODIs and 11 T20Is for Pakistan and the pacer managed to take 165 wickets across all formats.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen had also remarked that Asif was the toughest bowler he faced in his career.
