Mohammad Amir quits cricket alleging mental torture
Karachi, Dec 17: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir on Thursday announced a dramatic end to his international cricket career, alleging that he has been "mentally tortured" by his national board's management.
The 28-year-old left-arm pacer made the surprise announcement in a video interview released by Pakistani website 'Khel-Shel'.
"I am quitting cricket this time because I have been mentally tortured. I can't bear this torture. I had faced torture from 2010 to 2015, I remained outside cricket for whatever the reason. I served the punishment and did everything," Amir, who is currently in Sri Lanka, said referring to the ban he served for his involvement in spot-fixing.
"But I feel tortured by this continuous talk that PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board)has invested (on me). I can't play under this current management."
Amir had last year quit Tests to focus on white-ball cricket as he felt his body could not take the load of playing all the formats. He claimed 119 wickets from 36 Tests after making his debut in 2009. He served a five-year ban from 2010 to 2015 on charges of spot-fixing.
"I can give my best for Pakistan in white ball cricket. But every month or two they say something about my bowling, or I am ditching this and that, there is no workload on me etc.
"It means that I have been given wake-up call that I am not in the scheme of things and I should be on the sidelines. With all these thought I am doing this (quitting). I am reaching Pakistan in one or two days and I will give a statement stating the reasons," he said alluding to his omission from an ongoing tour of New Zealand.
Bowiling coach Waqar Younis had recently stated that Amir did not quit Tests because of workload and the reasons were best known to the bowler.
Amir was a part of the Pakistan squad which won the 2009 World T20 Cup and was also there when they won the Champions Trophy title in 2017.
He said only two persons -- former PCB chief Najam Sethi and ex Pakistan all-rounder Shaheed Afridi -- had helped him after he came back after serving his ban.
"I will give credit only to these two people. Mr Sethi had helped me single-handedly ... and when everybody said after I came back that don't play with Amir, at that time Afridi helped me."
"I took my personal decision but it was presented in a wrong way that I don't like to play for my country. Who does not want to play for country?" he asked.
Amir participated in the Lankan Premier League (LPL) which concluded on Wednesday.
He bowled exceptionally well in the tournament for the Galle Gladiators, who ended as the runners-up after losing the final to Jaffna Stallions.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
