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Cricket PlayersMohammad Amir refers to himself as ‘British Local’: ‘The Pakistan chapter I had before is now closed’
Mohammad Amir has ruled out a return to Pakistan cricket after acquiring British citizenship.
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Mohammad Amir has seemingly shut the door on another Pakistan comeback, saying that the “Pakistan chapter” of his career is now closed after he acquired British citizenship and began playing as a local player in England. The 34-year-old left-arm pacer, who has had more than one retirement and comeback during a turbulent international career, explained that his status as a British local comes with conditions that effectively prevent him from representing Pakistan again while retaining that classification.
“I am a British local now,” Amir said during an interview with cricket journalist and YouTuber Muhammad Furqan Bhatti. “When you play in competitions such as the County Championship and The Hundred as a local player, you have to sign a document stating that you cannot play for another country as a local. So, the Pakistan chapter I had before is now closed.”
The declaration appears to draw a definitive line under a Pakistan career that began when Amir was still a teenager and eventually stretched across 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is.
Amir closes door after years of comeback speculation
Amir originally announced his retirement from international cricket in December 2020 after publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the Pakistan team management. He subsequently reversed that decision ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup and returned to Pakistan colours after almost four years away. His comeback, however, proved short-lived. Amir retired from international cricket again in December 2024, bringing another chapter of speculation over his Pakistan future to an apparent end.
Even after that announcement, the possibility of another reversal continued to follow him given the unusual course of his career. His latest comments, however, offer a much firmer explanation for why another Pakistan comeback is unlikely. Amir obtained British citizenship through his wife, Narjis Khan, opening the door for him to operate as a local player in English domestic cricket rather than occupying an overseas slot. That status provides significant opportunities in competitions such as the County Championship and The Hundred, but Amir said it also required him to formally commit against representing another country while registered as a local.
For Pakistan, it appears to be the final full stop on a career filled with extraordinary highs and major controversies. Amir was part of Pakistan's 2009 T20 World Cup-winning squad as a teenager and later played one of the defining roles in their stunning 2017 Champions Trophy triumph. In the final against India at The Oval, he produced a devastating spell of 3/16, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli as Pakistan completed a famous 180-run victory.
He also finished as Pakistan's leading wicket-taker at the 2019 ODI World Cup, claiming 17 wickets, including a five-wicket haul against Australia. Across formats, Amir finished with 119 wickets in Tests, 81 in ODIs and 71 in T20Is — 271 international wickets in all.
There had been occasional hope among supporters that Amir, still young enough to continue playing at the highest level, could once again make himself available to Pakistan with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching. His latest words leave little room for that possibility. Amir's immediate future instead appears firmly tied to county and franchise cricket in Britain — and, in his own words, the Pakistan chapter that repeatedly reopened during his career is finally closed.
