Mohammad Amir retires: Don’t mistake wealth for respect, says Ramiz Raja

Former cricketer and commentator Ramiz Raja tweeted sound advice for aspiring young cricketers, a few hours after Mohammad Amir went public with the statement that he was quitting Pakistan cricket. 

Amir said in an interview with Samaa that he was quitting international cricket due to the "hostile environment" and "mental torture" the left-arm pacer has been facing ever since he decided to limit himself to white-ball cricket. 

Read more: Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir to leave cricket due to 'mental torture'

Ramiz Raja reacted to the news, stating that it was the "sad untimely exit of a potential super star". 

"Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential super star! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities," he said. 

The former opening batsman then took an indirect shot at the pacer, reminding youngsters not to "mistake wealth for respect". 

"Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy s**t!"

'Tortured mentally'

"The sort of environment that has been created ... I don't think I can play cricket under this management," Amir said in an exclusive interview with Samaa.

"I am quitting cricket as I am being tortured mentally. I don't think I can take this anymore because I bore immense torture from 2010 to 2015."

The bowler shot back at critics who have accused him of being ungrateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that had invested a lot in him, adding that he hadn't taken any shortcuts and served his sentence for being involved in the alleged spot-fixing scandal. 

Amir singled out bowling coach Waqar Younis for accusing him of ditching the team at a time of need.

He said that there had been plenty of tacit intimation that he was not in the team's plan, which forced him to arrive at this decision.