Following in the footsteps of his former teammate and colleague Imad Waseem, pacer Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday.
“After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to retire from international cricket,” Amir said in a statement issued on X, previously Twitter.
The left-arm pacer had in March come out of his retirement – which was announced in 2020 – after positive discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
He then became part of Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies – also his final appearance for the national team.
The 32-year-old made his international debut in June 2009 and played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is for Pakistan.
During his career, he took 271 international wickets and scored 1,179 runs across formats. He was part of the 2009 T20 World Cup winning team as well as the Champions Trophy winning team.
Explaining his decision in a statement today, Amir said: “These decisions are never easy but inevitable. I feel this is the right time for the next generation to take up the baton and take Pakistan cricket to new heights!”
“Representing my country is and will always be the greatest honor of my life,” he added, thanking the PCB, his family, friends and fans.
The previous day, all-rounder Imad, who came out of retirement in the same month as Amir, had bid farewell to international cricket.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to retire from international cricket,” he said in a social media post.
“As this chapter comes to a close, I look forward to continuing my cricketing journey through domestic and franchise cricket, and I hope to continue to entertain you all in new ways,” he added.
The all-rounder – part of the 2017 Champions Cup winning team – had previously announced his retirement from the game in November 2023.
The 34-year-old Imad made his international debut in May 2015 against Zimbabwe and went on to represent Pakistan in 55 ODIs and 75 T20I matches. He took 117 wickets and scored 1540 runs in his international career.