Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistan fast bowler, has urged Muhammad Amir to show “maturity” in resolving his differences with national team management and return to cricket in the near future.
“Amir should have realised that ‘papa’ Mickey Arthur would not always be there to protect him, and he now needs to mature,” Akhtar told PTV.
“You must be mature enough to understand that management will not act in accordance with my wishes. As a result, I now need to improve my performance and hard work ethic,” he said.
Akhtar reminded Amir that he owed a debt of gratitude to former PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who was instrumental in reintroducing him to international cricket after his ban.
“The PCB did Amir a favour by doing this. Amir did win some crucial matches for Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, including the final, but his performances deteriorated after that.” Akhtar supported coach Misbah’s stance on Amir.