People talk about my retirement but they don't realize I didn't play cricket for five years: Mohammad Amir

Senior Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has vowed to bounce back from the disappointment of being overlooked for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

Pakistan play three T20s and two Tests in New Zealand starting December 18. "It was disappointing as I was expecting to be part of the squad (for New Zealand tour). It was the selector’s decision but this motivates me to perform in a better manner, improve my fitness and regain my place in the side,” Amir told Cricket Pakistan.

"The New Zealand tour could be make or break for many cricketers, which has also been the case in the past as well. The conditions are difficult for batting while the bowlers also have small margin of error due to small boundaries.

"So the players, especially the youngsters, who perform well can improve their career trajectory,” he added.

Amir also opened up about his retirement from Test cricket and the criticism that followed. "People talk about my age and retirement but they don’t realise that I did not play cricket for five years. Even if you don’t start your car for a week, even that needs oil change to get it running properly once again,” said the 28-year-old who quit Tests last year.

"My workload management was becoming a major issue which forced me to take that decision. I was continuously facing fitness issues and our physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon can confirm that I was number one in the treatment list, during the England tour in 2018.