Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir trolled after announcing retirement for 2nd time, netizens ask yeh final hai na?

Controversial Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir on Saturday bid farewell to international cricket for the second time, leaving fans and critics divided, with many mocking his repeated retirement announcements.

Amir, who made headlines earlier this year when he came out of retirement to play in the T20 World Cup, confirmed his decision to retire again on Saturday. The 32-year-old pacer had initially retired from international cricket in 2020, citing mental stress caused by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management. However, after receiving assurances from the PCB about selection for tours to Ireland and England, as well as the T20 World Cup, Amir made a brief return to the international circuit.

"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.

His decision to step down has sparked mixed reactions on social media. While some fans have expressed gratitude for his services to Pakistan cricket, others have trolled Amir, questioning the authenticity of his retirement, especially given that this is the second time he has announced his departure. "Yeh final hai na?" ("This is final, right?") became a trending joke among netizens, with many mocking Amir’s repeated exits from the sport.

The pacer’s international career has been mired in controversy, especially due to his involvement in the infamous spot-fixing scandal in 2010. At just 19, Amir was caught deliberately overstepping in a match along with fellow pacer Mohammed Asif and former captain Salman Butt, who orchestrated the fix. The trio was sentenced to brief jail terms in the UK, where spot-fixing is a criminal offence, and were banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2010 to 2015.

While Asif and Butt struggled to make a successful return, Amir's comeback to international cricket was celebrated, particularly after his heroics in Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy final victory over India. Over his career, Amir played 36 Tests, 61 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and 62 T20 Internationals, taking 271 international wickets and contributing 1,179 runs across all formats. He was also part of Pakistan's victorious 2009 ICC T20 World Cup team.

Despite his return, Amir's later years with the national team were marred by inconsistency and the rise of new pacers in Pakistan's cricketing ranks. His final appearance in Pakistan colours came in June 2022 during a T20 World Cup match against Ireland in Lauderhill, USA.

The announcement of his second retirement comes a day after all-rounder Imad Wasim also announced his departure from international cricket, following a similar trajectory of returning after retirement. Both Amir and Wasim had been expected to help Pakistan perform well in recent international assignments but were sidelined after the T20 World Cup, with neither player being picked for subsequent matches.

As the news of his retirement circulates, the debate over Amir’s career and his fluctuating retirement plans continues to dominate social media, with many questioning whether this farewell will be his final one.

Here's a look at how netizens reacted to Amir's retirement announcement for the second time: