Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir might try his luck in IPL after gaining British citizenship as BCCI doesn’t allow Pakistani players to participate in the marquee league.
Amir shocked the cricketing world last year when he announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29. Since then, the left-arm swing bowler has been living in the United Kingdom with his family.
He stated that the main reason behind his early retirement were the people who are part of the Pakistan management. He claimed that the management’s unacceptable behavior made him lose interest in playing for Pakistan. Although he later added that he will be available for selection once the current management changes.
After retiring from international cricket, Amir has been a part of numerous T20 franchise-based leagues in the last few months. In a recent interaction with Pak Passion, the pacer shared his thoughts and opinions on various aspects of Pakistan cricket along with his plans of obtaining British citizenship and playing in the biggest T20 league in the world.
“At the moment, I’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. I’m enjoying my cricket these days and plan to play for another 6 or 7 years, so let’s see how things go. My children will grow up in England and receive their education there, so no doubt I will be spending a fair amount of time there,”
Amir said.
Evidently, the BCCI does not allow Pakistan players to participate in the IPL ever since the second edition of the high profile league. The only player who has been a part of the league after the first edition is Azhar Mahmood. The former Pakistan all-rounder registered himself as an English player, which eventually allowed him to appear for the Punjab Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Talking about his plans after he attains British Citizenship, Amir said that at the moment, he hasn’t really thought about the other possibilities and opportunities available and how things will turn out after he receives British citizenship in the future.
Pakistan cricket fans heavily criticized Amir after he decided to leave international cricket at such a young age, especially after PCB backed him post match-fixing debacle that shook the cricketing world. Amir had to serve a five-year ban from all forms of cricket after he deliberately bowled no-balls in the Test series against England.
Amir made a great comeback in international cricket after serving his ban. He played a major role in Pakistan’s historic Champions Trophy win against India in 2017. However, he failed to continue his great form.
Talking about the criticism, Amir said that retiring from playing for your beloved country isn’t an easy step to take. “I thought a lot about this decision, I spoke to those close to me and only then did I reach this decision. If I go into all of the details and re-open all those chapters, then it will get very ugly,”
Amir further added.
Although Amir didn’t talk in detail about his plans to make an appearance in IPL, he surely will become eligible to feature in the league after he gets British citizenship. Many franchises might actually want to rope the left-arm in as he still looks to be in good form. He hasn’t lost a pace, and after international retirement, his availability for the complete season would be ensured.
