Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) ninth edition ended with Islamabad United becoming the first team to win the title thrice.

The overseas players have left while the local players have joined the national training camp for the upcoming assignments.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in collaboration with the Pakistan Army has organised a training camp in Kakul to enhance the physical and mental strengths of the players, ensuring they are in the best condition to face the future challenges.

Under the guidance of experienced trainers and coaches, the players will undergo a comprehensive training period designed to elevate their fitness levels, agility, leadership and strategic thinking and overall performance on the field.

Players will prepare for the home T20I series against New Zealand, the away T20I series against New Zealand and the ICC T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies in June this year.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formed a national selection committee comprising seven members with equal powers. Former cricketers Mohammad Yousuf, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq and Asad Shafiq, the head coach, the captain and an analyst will be part of the committee.

PSL season-9 final man-of-the-match Imad Wasim and fast bowler Mohammad Amir have been included in the 29 players. Both had made themselves available for selection.

Imad took back his retirement from international cricket, saying he was available for the T20 World Cup.

Amir said the PCB made him feel that he was needed and could still play for Pakistan so he made himself available for the T20 World Cup.

Imad, who announced his retirement from international cricket in November last year, said that he would give his “very best to bring laurels to my country”.

According to media reports, Imad held discussions with PCB’s CEO Salman Naseer and Chief Selector Wahab Riaz, and presented his conditions for reconsidering retirement.

Reports indicate that Imad sought assurance of being included in the squad until the next World Cup. Wahab provided the necessary assurances in this regard.

Imad has played 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is for Pakistan as a left-arm spinner and lower-order batter. He last represented Pakistan in April 2023 in a T20I against New Zealand in Rawalpindi.

Imad, now 34, was part of Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup-winning side in 2006 and went on to lead Pakistan in the next edition in 2008. He had to wait till 2015 for a Pakistan debut, in a T20I against Zimbabwe in Lahore.

Imad has taken 44 wickets and scored 986 runs in ODIs. In T20Is, he has 65 wickets and 486 runs. His best performance with the ball, incidentally, is identical in both formats 5-14.

A day after Imad, Amir also reversed his decision of retirement from international cricket.

Amir was a member of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2009 winning team. He returned to play for Pakistan in 2016 after a five-year ban imposed because of spot fixing. He was also the hero of Pakistan’s win in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England.

Initially, Amir had announced his retirement from Test cricket in July 2019, saying he would continue playing white-ball cricket for Pakistan. Former fast bowlers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar criticised his decision. Amir lamented that his decision to retire from Test cricket was linked to his participation in T20 leagues.

Later, on December 17, 2020, Amir retired from all international cricket. He was unhappy when he was not included in the 35-member squad for the New Zealand tour. Since his international retirement, he has been playing in various T20 leagues around the world.

In the early days of his career, Amir was compared with legend Wasim Akram for his exceptional ability to swing the ball into, or away from, the batsmen.

Amir has represented Pakistan in 36 Tests (119 wickets), 61 One-day Internationals (81 wickets) and 50 Twenty20 Internationals (59 wickets).

Amir, who made his debut as a 17-year-old in July 2009, played his last Test in 2019. He last played for Pakistan in T20Is in England in August 2020.

Amir is still energetic while other Pakistani pacers except Shaheen Shah Afridi don’t have much experience of international cricket. Therefore, Amir should be a part of the Pakistan national squad for some more years.

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