Players fearful to ask for break: Mohammad Amir attacks Pakistan selectors

Mohammad Amir, who has been dropped from the upcoming tour of New Zealand has questioned the ongoing selection policies by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The left-arm pacer said that players are reluctant to ask for a break in order to freshen up as they fear of getting dropped from the team.

"The problem is that if a player musters the courage to say in Pakistan cricket that he wants rest, he is dropped, so players are now scared about speaking about it with the management," Amir told the 'News One' channel.

Amir called for better communication between the selectors and players for the development of Pakistan cricket. He said that players are developing the mindset of living in the fear of getting the axe from the squad. He suggested that players should be given space to express their point of views openly when and if they need and the selectors, too, should understand and consider their problems.

“There is a mindset in Pakistan cricket where players are scared of being dropped from the team. I think this communication gap should be removed between players and the management. If a player wants to take a break he should be happy to speak about it with the management and they should understand his point of view and give him rest instead of dropping him from the team," Amir said.

He cited the example of ‘controversy’ that his decision to retire from Tests created although he says that coach Mickey Arthur knew well in advance that I had to leave Test cricket due to increased workload. He said that no one from the team management had a word with him for months after he made his decision known to them but an unnecessary controversy was created after the defeat against Australia last year.

He said a prolonged hiatus from cricket due to his time in prison and ban left him without cricket and when he returned after a ban of five years, he faced issues with his knees, eyes, and shoulders but his calls for workload management were not heeded by the selectors and physios. Ultimately, Amir in pursuit of prolonging his career decided to call it a day in the longest format of the game. "I only decided to retire from Test cricket when I realised my body could not take it and if I wanted to prolong my career I had to do something. So I decided to give up Test cricket to prolong my career," Amir added.

Amir also rued the fact that people still can’t look at him beyond the lens of his past that was marred by a spot-fixing scandal. Amir expressed disappointment that the world still judges him for his past and overlooks his present.

"Yes what happened in 2010 was wrong and I paid for it by being out of cricket for five years so much so I couldn't even play club matches. But people still tend to judge you by the past, not from the present. I think only God has the power to be judgmental and I just believe if your conscience is clear it is okay. But there is more negativity than positivity in Pakistan cricket," Amir said.

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