Akhtar urges Amir to come out of Test retirement

Pakistan's former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has urged fellow speedster Mohammad Amir to come out of Test cricket retirement and play for Pakistan.

“Amir should reconsider his decision to come out of retirement and play for Pakistan, because the country needs him. I believe that you can only become a legend by performing for your country as nobody remembers performance in county cricket,” said Akhtar in a video message on YouTube.

Akhtar's statement comes after Amir's impressive bowling display for Essex. The pacer, who was playing his final first-class game, finished with figures of 6-64 in a winning cause for Essex against Kent in Canterbury.

The former fast bowler said that Amir should have given similar performances for Pakistan, which would have made him a bigger star. Akhtar further said that the cricketing system should be such that any new cricketer doesn’t think about retiring or playing for other sides.

Last month, Amir announced his Test retirement at the age of 27 and this came after he was the top wicket-taker for the Men in Green in the recently-concluded ICC World Cup 2019.

Former Pakistan cricketers including Akhtar expressed their disappointment at Amir’s decision, saying that such a decision could set a bad precedent. “Mohammad Amir retirement could be followed by Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz and Juanid Khan’s retirement. I don’t understand what is happening with the Pakistan team,” said Akhtar.