Mohammad Asif: “I would have given anything to play for Pakistan again after my ban, but it didn’t happen and that hurts”
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Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif has admitted that he would have given anything to play international cricket again.
Asif was banned for five years for his involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that shocked the cricketing world and hasn’t played for Pakistan since then.
While he made his domestic comeback, he wasn’t given a second chance like left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir.
With this in mind, he believes that Amir made the wrong decision to retire from international cricket.
Amir claimed he was being “mentally tortured” by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and felt that the current team management have deliberately been snubbing him for selection.
“Despite the flaws in the current group of coaches and the team management I still believe that Mohammad Amir has made the wrong decision in retiring from international cricket,” Asif was quoted as saying by The Cricketer.
“I look at my own example, I would have given anything to play for Pakistan again after my ban, but it didn’t happen and that hurts. Only those in that situation who are being ignored by the selectors know how much it hurts and how important playing for your country is. I wanted to play for my country again, I was desperate to win over my critics and gain redemption, but I never got the chance.
“Perhaps it all came too easy for Amir after his ban and that’s why he is giving it all up now. All things considered I feel he will regret this decision in future, as playing in Twenty20 Leagues might be a short-term gain, but ultimately international cricket is where a player’s legacy is made.”
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