Soon after Imad Wasim called time on his international career for the second time, Pakistani pace-bowling sensation Mohammed Amir also followed suit to announce his retirement from the international arena as well. Both players made their last appearances for Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup in which India triumphed with flying colours. 

Amir had a troubled international career plagued with a plethora of controversies. The biggest of them all was his involvement in the 2010 match-fixing scandal which was exposed by the UK anti-corruption squad. He was jailed and banned for a period of five years but later made a successful return to the international stage in 2016.

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Amir goes public with his retirement

Amir's growing discontent with the PCB reached a boiling point and the pacer announced his first retirement in December 2020. But over the years, Amir made plans to revive his international career and in March 2024 he took back his retirement. But as the dust settled on Pakistan's disastrous T20 World Cup campaign which Amir was a part of, the 32-year-old once again decided to announce his retirement the second time.

In a statement issued by PCB, Amir expressed that it was an honor to wear the Green Shirt and thanked the PCB administration for giving him the opportunity. He feels it is time for him to make way for budding youngsters who can potentially lift Pakistan cricket to new heights. 

“It has been a great honour to play for Pakistan across all three formats. I know this is a difficult decision, but I feel this is the right time for the next generation to take the baton and elevate Pakistan cricket to new heights. I would like to thank the PCB for always extending the much-needed support over the years, and I look forward to watching the team excel. I would also like to thank Pakistan fans for always supporting me throughout my career.”

Amir was a member of Pakistan's winning squad in the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup and significantly contributed to the success of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Notably, his performance against India in the final altered the course of the match, leaving India unable to regain their momentum.

Amir and Imad at loggerheads with PCB

Both Amir and Imad reportedly had disagreements with the PCB administration and clashed frequently with them. Availability was the core issue surrounding both players. The continuous change in dispensation at PCB ensured they never really arrived at a decision to play for Pakistan, announcing it one day and then changing it the next. This uncertainty soon took the shape of frustration which resulted in the announcement of the two players for the second time. However, both players have made it clear that they would be available to participate in domestic and franchise cricket.

In a bizarre turn of events, Pakistani spin-bowling all-rounder Imad Wasim announces his retirement from international for the second time in his career. However, the all-rounder will still be available to play franchise cricket. Imad last featured for Pakistan in a Group A fixture against Ireland in the 2024 T20 World Cup. 

He previously announced his retirement in November last year but on the back of a successful run in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Imad made a re-entry again and featured in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. In the T20 World Cup, Imad took part in three games and a paltry 19 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 65.51 and picked up three wickets at an economy of 4 RPO. 

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Imad announces his second retirement on Twitter 

While announcing his retirement for the second time, Imad took to his official Twitter account to express his thankfulness to the fans and his supporters who supported him all the way through his journey. He further adds that representing his country was the biggest honour of his life.

“To all fans and supporters: After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from international cricket. Representing Pakistan on the world stage has been the greatest honor of my life, and every moment wearing the green jersey has been unforgettable. Your unwavering support, love, and passion have always been my biggest strength. From the highs to the lows, your encouragement has pushed me to give my best for our beloved country."

Imad's association with cricket will not end here. As he calls time in his international career, Imad does confirm that he will still be available to participate in domestic and franchise cricket.  

“While this chapter comes to an end, I look forward to continuing my journey in cricket through domestic and franchise cricket, and I hope to keep entertaining you all in new ways. Thank you for everything. Pakistan.”

A brief look into Imad's overall international career

Imad was born in Swansea, Cardiff to a Pakistani family where he spent most of his formative years. The 35-year-old all-rounder has represented Pakistan in 130 international fixtures which comprises 75 T20Is and 55 ODIs. Imad never featured for his country in the longest format but has 77 FC matches under his belt averaging 40.68 with the bat and 31.14 with the ball. In addition, the spin-bowling all-rounder has taken part in a total of nine franchise cricket leagues which includes the likes of some highly reputed leagues like The Hundred and Major League Cricket (MLC). 

After Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir has come out of his retirement and after positive discussions with the PCB, is now available to play for Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Amir took to social media to announce the same and wrote, “I still dream to play for Pakistan!”

Amir comes out of retirement

Mohammad Amir took to social media to inform that he would be available to play for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. According to him, after discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board, he decided to do this for his country.

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has officially retired from international cricket, bringing an end to his illustrious career with immediate effect. The left-arm spinner and lower-order batter, who made the announcement via a social media post, represented Pakistan in 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is. His last appearance for Pakistan was in April during a T20I against New Zealand in Rawalpindi.

“In recent days I have been doing a lot of thinking about my international career and I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to announce my retirement from international cricket,” expressed Imad. “I would like to thank the PCB for all their support over the years – it has truly been an honour to represent Pakistan.

“Each of my 121 appearances across the ODI and T20I formats was a dream come true. It’s an exciting time for Pakistan cricket going forwards with new coaches and leadership incoming. I wish all involved every success and I look forward to watching the team excel.

“I am now eager to concentrate on the next phase of my playing career.” – Imad Wasim

“Thank you to the Pakistan fans for always supporting me with such passion. A final thank you to my family and friends who have been so important in helping me achieve at the highest level. I now look forward to focusing on the next stage of my playing career away from the international stage.”

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Imad, now 34, played a significant role in Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup victory in 2006, later captaining the side in 2008. He made his T20I debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe in Lahore, marking the return of international cricket to Pakistan. In ODIs, he claimed 44 wickets and scored 986 runs, while in T20Is, he took 65 wickets and scored 486 runs. His best bowling performance, 5 for 14, remains identical in both formats.

Currently part of Karachi Kings’ roster in the PSL, Imad has also featured in various T20 leagues worldwide, including the Hundred, CPL, and LPL. Born in Swansea, Wales, he initially played his early cricket in the UK.

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim wasn’t a part of the team for the Asia Cup 2022 campaign and has also been left out of the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.

Wasim was a part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup team last year that went all the way to the semi-finals yet hasn’t featured for the Men in Green ever since.

The rise of all-rounder Muhammad Nawaz has pushed the 33-year-old lower in the dominance order. Despite being centrally contracted, Imad Wasim has found himself out of the team for almost a year.

Wasim is at present having a fabulous Caribbean Premier League season with the Jamaica Tallawahs, getting 10 wickets in seven matches up to this point. So it was a shock when the all-rounder wasn’t picked for the T20 World Cup, atleast, as a backup to Nawaz.

However, Wasim took to Twitter to post a cryptic message. The tweet had a photograph showing that one must continuously be happy regardless of the circumstance since certain things aren’t in their control. He tweeted this:

“No justification has been provided to me” – Imad Wasim

Earlier this year, Imad Wasim opened up about his exclusion from Pakistan’s plans in an interview with Cricket Pakistan. He claimed that nobody from the board gave him any proper  clarification with regards to why he was excluded from the team. 

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“I have not played a single match since the World Cup. I don’t know the reason behind this, to be honest. No justification has been provided to me and reasons given to me, I am unsatisfied with them. But whatever happens, happens because it is Almighty’s will.”

Imad expressed.