Muhammad Aamir mulls Test retirement to prolong ODI, T20 career

Muhammad Aamir

Karachi: Pakistan's tainted left-arm pacer Muhammad Aamir is considering ending his Test career in order to focus on One-dayers and Twenty20 cricket.
According to reports in the Pakistani media, Aamir discussed this prospect with his teammates and the management after Pakistan lost the second Test against the West Indies in Barbados.

"Aamir himself is now upset that how this private discussion came out in the open and who leaked the discussions," one report said. "The Pakistan Cricket Board and team management in West Indies is now investigating as to who is responsible for leaking out this private discussion," it said. Reports said that Aamir, who has taken 11 wickets in the two Tests in the West Indies, made it clear in the discussions with his teammates and management that he felt that playing Test cricket required a lot more physical fitness and endurance.

"He apparently indicated he would like to focus on one- dayers and T20 cricket," the report said. The 25-year-old Aamir tasted his first real success on the tour of the West Indies with 11 wickets but former fast bowling greats like Wasim Akram still feel that the left-armer needs to improve his bowling. Aamir, since returning to the Pakistan squad after completing his five-year ban for spot-fixing in early 2015, has played 15 Tests without much success.

Aamir would not be the first international cricketer to decide to retire from Test cricket to focus on ODI and T20 matches. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi himself retired from Test cricket in 2010 to just play ODIs and T20 matches.