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One of the biggest enigmas of world cricket has been Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir. The left-arm speedster decided to quit international cricket aged 29. Ever since taking that call, he has been living in the United Kingdom with his family. Not only did he stun everyone by taking the big call but also put some serious allegations on the Pakistan team management. He later stated that he could come back once the current management gets changed.
Despite announcing his retirement from international cricket, Amir has taken part in quite a few T20 franchise-based leagues. The pacer has now opened up on his plans for the future, about getting a British citizenship and participating in IPL.
I’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom: Amir
"At the moment I’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. I’m enjoying my cricket these days and plan to play for another 6 or 7 years so let’s see how things go. My children will grow up in England and receive their education there so no doubt I will be spending a fair amount of time there," Amir told Pak Passion.
Notably, the BCCI does not permit Pakistan players to participate in the IPL ever since the second edition of the T20 tournament. But a possibility arises for Amir if he takes British citizenship and retires himself as an English player much like Azhar Mahmood who played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Kolkata Knight Riders.
I’ve not really thought about the other possibilities, says the left-arm pacer
“At the moment, I’ve not really thought about the other possibilities and opportunities available and how things will turn out when I receive British citizenship in the future," Amir said.
"Retiring from playing for your beloved country isn’t an easy step to take. I thought a lot about this decision, I spoke to those close to me and only then did I reach this decision. If I go into all of the details and re-open all those chapters then it will get very ugly. I hope that our players, especially the youngsters in future don’t have to face what I had to face as I don’t want our younger players to get disheartened and have to sacrifice their careers like I did," he concluded.