Mohammad Amir announces Test retirement aged 27 to concentrate on white-ball cricket

The seamer steps away from the international red-ball game having made just 36 Test appearances for his country

Mohammad Amir has announced his retirement from Test cricket.

The seamer steps away from the international red-ball game at the age of 27, having made just 36 Test appearances for his country.

Amir will still be available for selection for ODIs and T20s, but will not add to his 119 Test scalps.

"It has been an honour to represent Pakistan in the pinnacle and traditional format of the game. I, however, have decided to move away from the longer version so I can concentrate on white-ball cricket," he said.

"Playing for Pakistan remains my ultimate desire and objective, and I will try my best to be in the best physical shape to contribute in the team’s upcoming challenges, including next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.

Amir made his Test debut in 2009 but his fledgling career was interrupted a year later when he was caught up in the spot-fixing scandal which engulfed Pakistani cricket.

^{Mohammad Amir outside Southwark Crown Court in 2011}

Amir conspired, along with then Pakistan captain Salman Butt and experienced seamer Mohammad Asif, to deliberately bowl no balls as specified times of their country's match against England at Lord's.

He was handed a five-year ban for his part in the incident by the ICC, as well as a six-month custodial sentence, and received plenty of sympathy as the wide-eyed teenager seemingly coerced into participation in the plot by his more senior teammates.

That time out of the game contributed significantly to Amir's lack of Test caps - a strange anomaly for a gifted player who at times has been the best seam bowler on the planet.

At 27, he still has a large chunk of his career left, but Amir says he is ready to pass the baton on to another generation of Pakistan quicks - led by teenager Shaheen Shah Afridi, who so impressed during the recent World Cup.

"It has not been an easy decision to make and I have been thinking about this for some time. But with the ICC World Test Championship commencing shortly, and Pakistan boasting some very exciting young fast bowlers, it is appropriate that I call on my time in Test cricket so that the selectors can plan accordingly," Amir said.

"I want to thank all my team-mates as well the opponents in red-ball cricket. It has been a privilege to play with and against them. I am sure our paths will continue to cross in limited-overs cricket as all of us play and compete with the same vigour and determination.

^{Amir played just 36 Tests in 10 years}

"I also want to thank the PCB for providing me the opportunity to don the golden star on my chest. And, I am grateful to my coaches who have groomed me at various stages of my career."

Amir retires with a Test average of 30.47, perhaps not truly reflective of his talents. In red-ball cricket he certainly flattered to deceive, often struggling outside of Asia.

Pakistan, still, will be sorry to see him go - left-arm quicks with the ability to swing the ball both ways and produce unplayable spells are hardly a dime a dozen.

Amir will likely remain a major figure in the global limited-overs landscape for many years to come, it is a shame for cricket - and perhaps an indicator of the direction the game is heading - that we have seen the last of him in whites.

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