Amir announces retirement from international cricket
Karachi (PTI): Controversial Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir bid adieu to international cricket on Saturday, months after coming out of retirement to play in the T20 World Cup.
Amir, who was banned from cricket for five years between 2010 and 2015 on spot-fixing charges and was briefly jailed for his crime, had retired from all forms of international cricket in 2020.
However, he changed his mind and returned to play in T20 World Cup earlier this year.
"After careful consideration, I have taken the difficult decision to retire from international cricket. These decisions are never easy but are inevitable. I feel this is the right time for the next generation to take the baton and elevate Pakistan Cricket to new heights!" he wrote on his social media handles.
"Representing my country has been and always will be the greatest honour of my life. I would sincerely like to thank the PCB, my family and friends and, above all, my fans for their continuous love & support," he added.
Amir had been involved in the infamous spot-fixing scandal that rocked the cricket world in 2010.
The pacer, who was 19 then, had deliberately over-stepped along with fellow quick Mohammed Asif at the behest of former skipper Salman Butt and they were all caught. All three were briefly jailed in the UK, where fixing is a crime but were later released.
The ICC banned them for five years between 2010 to 2015. Only Amir made a successful return to international cricket and was the hero of Pakistan's Champions Trophy triumph over India in 2017 in the UK.
A key member of Pakistan's team over the years, he featured in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is since making his international debut in June 2009.
He took 271 international wickets and scored 1,179 runs across the three formats and was a part of the the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup-winning side.
The announcement comes a day after all-rounder Imad Wasim decided quit international cricket.
Both Amir and Wasim came out of retirement earlier this year after being assured of selection for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the World T20 Cup, by the board and its selectors, who believed the two could help Pakistan perform well in these assignments.
Unfortunately, that didn't materialise, and neither has he been picked by the national selectors for any of the matches since the World Cup.
Amir's final outing in Pakistan colours came in June this year during the T20 World Cup against Ireland in Lauderhill, USA.
In 2020, Amir announced a dramatic end to his international cricket career, alleging that he has been "mentally tortured" by his national board's management.
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India achieves major milestone in wind energy; capacity now 56 gigawatts: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): India has achieved a major milestone in wind energy, with the country's wind energy generation capacity exceeding 56 gigawatts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi also said the country must save electricity and adopt clean energy.
“India recently achieved a major milestone in wind energy. India's wind energy generation capacity has now exceeded 56 gigawatts. In just the past year, nearly 6 gigawatts of new capacity have been added,” he said.
Underlining that solar and wind energy are essential for India's development, Modi said, “It is not just about the environment; it is about securing our future, and we all have a role to play in it.”
On April 22, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, said that India has recorded its best-ever year in wind energy capacity addition, with a historic 6.1 GW added during 2025-26.
India currently ranks fourth globally in wind energy, with more than 56.1 GW installed capacity and an additional 28 GW under implementation.
Emphasising the vast untapped potential of the sector, Joshi highlighted that India's wind energy potential at 150 metres hub height is estimated at nearly 1,164 GW.
He expressed confidence that with sustained efforts, the country will achieve 100 GW wind capacity by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036, contributing significantly to the net-zero target by 2070.
Joshi also underlined that wind energy plays a critical role in stabilising India's energy system, particularly due to its peak generation during evening and night hours, which aligns with high demand periods.
He noted that nearly 45 per cent of wind power generation occurs during peak demand hours, making it a vital complement to solar energy.
