Mohammad Amir is currently going through a strange phase in his cricketing career. The left-arm fast bowelr called time on his Test cricket last year, at the age of just 27, to focus on becoming a white-ball specialist and to prolong his career.

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However, earlier this year, Amir was not selected for the T20 series against Bangladesh at home, and that too in the year of the ICC World T20.

Those who follow cricket in Pakistan, know that there is a certain level of anger regarding Amir’s decision to retire from Test cricket at such a tender age, especially considering that the management had expedited his return to international cricket soon after his 5-year ban for spot-fixing. That coupled with the rise of young pacers like Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah has complicated Amir’s situation.

But, Amir’s performances in the shortest format of the game continue to impress. He is Pakistan’s second-highest wicket taker in the format over the last two years, having picked 18 wickets in 13 T20 Internationals. Moreover, he was the most successful bowler during the Bangladesh Premier League in January, bagging 20 scalps in 13 games.

During the ongoing 5th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Amir has played a big role in the Karachi Kings making it to the semi-final round, having taken 10 wickets from nine matches at a decent economy of 7.52.

Amir believes that he has no regrets of making a decision to retire from Tests.

“Everyone has their opinion. I know my body the best,” Amir told The National. “I felt my body was getting overloaded. I couldn’t manage. To prolong my career, I had to take the decision, which was supported by my family. I am feeling much better and the results are visible.”

He also added thatplaying all three formats tirelessly after his return in 2016 took a massive toll on his body and fatigue became a major factor behind the groundbreaking decision.

“Five-year gap is a lot for a bowler. When I came back, I played continuously for three straight years and that too in all formats. Fatigue was bound to happen, especially for fast bowlers. But now I am feeling much better, Alhamdulillah. When your focus is on one thing and you are mentally and physically fresh, you can deliver and perform better.”

With Amir showing consistency in the T20 format, the focus automatically shifts to the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. Will he get selected in the Pakistan setup or not? The pacer himself believes he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.

“What do I have to prove?. Performances prove everything. As a professional, whatever opportunities you get, you avail them. Right now, PSL is my focus. I want to enjoy it and perform well. World Cup is a long way away. That’s five-six months away. Now it’s all about PSL.”

Amir praised the role Wasim Akram has played in this year’s PSL with the Karachi Kings.

“Nowadays cricket has become so fast, you have to be strong mentally and physically. Wasim bhai being with Karachi has been a blessing for me,”

The 27-year-old also said that it is a dream to play in front of a jam-packed home crowd and that he was waiting for this moment since a long time.

“This is a dream for every player – to represent your county and play in front of your home crowd. Not just for me but every team player was missing it. This is a major milestone of my career. We played our entire cricket away. This was a dream, to play at home and at our grounds. We can’t thank our Allah enough.”