'It is not the right approach...' - Shoaib Akhtar questions PCB's approach with Mohammad Amir

'It is not the right approach...' - Shoaib Akhtar questions PCB's approach with Mohammad Amir (Image Source: Twitter)

Mohammad Amir, the former Pakistani pacer, has been hinting at a possible return to the international arena and not so long ago, the chief selector Haroon Rasheed said that the player would be considered just like any other cricketer if he gets his retirement back and starts to play frequently in the domestic circuit. 

That being said, Shoaib Akhtar opened up on the same and claimed that it was not a perfect approach by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to get the pacer into consideration. The former fiery right-armer claimed that Amir was punished for the mighty mistake that cost him years of cricket and it was his mistake rather. 

Further, Akhtar claimed that the left-armer was at his very best during the Champions Trophy 2017 and notably, it was Amir who rattled the Indian top order during the finals, eventually going on to win the game. However, the former Pakistani pacer highlighted that Amir was not at his very best post the conclusion of the tournament. 

We were also dropped in the past: Shoaib Akhtar

Akhtar cited himself as an example and claimed that the PCB was not happy with him for almost a decade. However, the Pakistani right-armer went on to explain that one must fight his way back and give back to the country that has given everything to him. Taking a dig at Amir’s ‘fixing scandal’, Akhtar said that the incident was rather a black mark in the country’s cricketing history. 

“PCB calling Mohammad Amir and asking do you want to play, in my opinion, this is not the right approach. We were also dropped in the past, and the PCB management was angry with me for almost 12 years, but this doesn't mean that I should quit. Instead, we should think about what are Pakistan's requirements, this was his mistake,” Akhtar was quoted as saying. 

"Until 2017 he had okay kind of performances, which were followed by a brilliant show in the Champions Trophy. However, after that, there was hardly anything standard in the next 15-20 ODIs,” said the right-armer further.