'He's blackmailing': Danish Kaneria slams Mohammad Amir for raising voice against PCB

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has slammed Mohammad Amir over his recent statement claiming the management forced him to take early retirement from the sport. Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for his country, accused Amir of “blackmailing” the management with his comments to get into the side again, adding "Pakistan was kind enough to bring you back despite the match-fixing scandal". Kaneria, in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel said, Amir should realise that his performance was not up to the mark in the past couple of years, especially since the Champions Trophy in 2017. 

"Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did everything it could to give Amir another opportunity. PCB worked tandemly with the England Cricket Board (ECB) to get a visa for Amir so he could travel with the team to the United Kingdom after coming back from the ban. But Amir was not performing consistently for the team. Yes, he helped the team win the ICC Champions Trophy, but since then he has been on a decline. I feel he is trying to blackmail others with his statements so that he can make a return to the side. From his comments on moving to England and getting citizenship and playing the IPL, you can understand what he is trying to think," Kaneria said. 

What did Amir say?

Earlier, Amir had slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not giving him the respect that he "deserved". Amir said he wasn't getting the respect he deserved and there was a lot of mental pressure being put upon him by the management. Amir said there are a lot of players in Pakistan who have gone through a similar situation as his but they are "frightened" to speak about it publicly. When asked about his plans for the future, Amir said he will be seeking British citizenship and will continue to play cricket in England for another 6-7 years. Amir further hinted that he would like to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) if given the opportunity after having obtained the British passport. 

Mohammad Amir also slammed the PCB for its “flawed” selection process. "International cricket isn’t school cricket where you learn on the job. It's a tough environment where only players who are ready and who have learnt about the game and obtained the necessary skills should be selected," the pacer said. Amir, while speaking to Pakpassion.net, compared the selection process in Pakistan with that of top cricketing nations such as India, England, and New Zealand, highlighting how these countries introduce players once they are ready to play at the highest level.

IMAGE: Danish Kaneria/Md.Amir/Twitter