The sudden announcement by fast bowler Mohammad Amir to quit international cricket has sparked a lot of debate among the cricketing circles.

Amir took the decision after being overlooked by the national selectors for the New Zealand tour. Previously, he was also dropped for the home Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe. The fast bowler has cited mental torture by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the primary reason behind his decision.

The loss of such a talented bowler is undoubtedly a bog loss for the country; however, the PCB has been quick in accepting the decision.

A 17-year-old Amir burst onto the international scene in 2009 during the World Twenty20 where he was instrumental in Pakistan lifting its maiden trophy. The next one year saw Amir take the world by storm through some sterling performances across continents, so much so that he started getting touted as the next Wasim Akram and was acknowledged by the maestro himself as more talented than him at such a young age.

He was exceptional during the 2010 Test tour to England where he was named Player of The Series from Pakistan. At this point Amir’s career took a turn when he and Mohammad Asif were lured by their captain Salman Butt to accept money to bowl deliberate no-balls. The trio was caught, jailed, and subsequently banished from all cricket for varying time periods.

Pakistan did move on from that sordid episode under Misbah-ul-Haq’s command and rebuilt a team that was good enough to hold its own at the adopted home in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The public in due time forgot Butt, gave up on Asif but kept hoping for Amir to eventually make a comeback – not only because of his young age but also because he was the first one to confess, apologise and repent on account of his actions.

It was on the back of his precocious talent and public support that Amir was welcomed into the mainstream cricket as soon as his ban ended. To his credit, Amir did not disappoint and some of his spells including his hat-trick on his Pakistan Super League (PSL) debut and the opening spell against arch rivals India during the subsequent Asia Cup showed that he still had it in him to be a match winner; however unavoidably, Amir did have his detractors as well including some of his own team members who publicly voiced their disapproval on his reinstatement.

Once again Amir proved to a man with great resilience as despite the inevitable taunts from some of his teammates and the senior players dropping catches off his bowling, Amir kept fighting back. His redemption finally came during final of the Champions Trophy when he ripped the heart out of India’s batting in an incisive spell of fast bowling – the highlight being his dismissal of Kohli after he was once again dropped off just the previous ball.

For the next two years, Amir struggled to keep up the same form but managed to cling on to his place across all 3 formats. He was finally axed by the selectors from the provisional World Cup squad but were forced to turn to his experience just in time where once again he silenced his critics by being the most consistent bowler for Pakistan ending up as the highest wicket-taker in an unsuccessful campaign.

Just when it appeared that Amir has finally got rid of his mental demons, he surprised everyone by announcing his unavailability to play Test matches for Pakistan. A simplistic argument would suggest a right to make decisions about his career depending upon his own assessment, however this case merits evaluation from a broader perspective. It must be acknowledged that a major factor in Amir’s reinstatement and redemption was the huge public support that he always enjoyed even during his banishment from international cricket.

Despite opposition from some of the administrators, senior players, and sections of the media, it was the public that always egged him on and helped him fight back. It is this public vote that he lost when he decided to withdraw on the eve of the all-important World Test Championship.

This is where even coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq probably also felt let down as he was left to work with a talented yet inexperienced pace bowling attack for the challenging assignments against Australia and England. Nowhere was his absence felt more badly than at Manchester where the bowlers failed to dislodge England’s sixth wicket that eventually guided the home team to an unlikely victory.

Amir might not realize it but more than the attitude of the PCB and team management, it is the indifference from the public that has left him feeling alone and depressed. In a country where even the supposedly all-powerful cricket board tends to succumb to public demand, it is this loss of public sympathy that has hurt Amir the most. One cannot compare his case with Wahab Riaz who in his mid-30s can perhaps be afforded the luxury to choose formats.

The 28-year-old Amir – it must be said – had a duty to pull himself up and make himself available for at least the important assignments, if only to repay his adoring fans. So, what does the future hold for Amir?

The answer rests entirely with Amir as to how badly he wants to play for Pakistan. But one thing is clear; even if he has a change of heart or is convinced into a return through government intervention, the scrutiny over his effectiveness and commitment will be even greater. It depends upon his own mental strength and hunger to fight his way back and realize his unfulfilled potential; however he has to understand that even if he sticks to his decision and chooses to spend the rest of his career playing T20 leagues around the world, what he has to live with is the stigma of the 2010 saga – something that even his more illustrious predecessors have struggled to get rid of.

The writer is a freelance cricket journalist and producer of documentary ‘Inside A Champion’s Mind’

Email: syed.mustafa@hotmail.com Twitter: @MustafaFairplay

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2021