Babar Azam To Drag Mohammad Amir Out Of Retirement! Pakistan Pacer Agrees

Amir bets on Babar Azam ahead of IND vs PAK [Source: X]

Former cricketer Mohammad Amir has pinned his retirement reversion hopes on Babar Azam ahead of Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. The left-arm speedster has stated that if Babar Azam power Pakistan to victory against India, he will reverse his international retirement. 

Mohammad Amir is one of Pakistan's most successful modern-day fast bowlers. In 62 T20Is, the left-arm seamer has bagged 71 wickets at a strike rate of 18.6 and an economy of 7.07. However, despite an impressive career, particularly in white-ball cricket, Amir had to announce a premature retirement due to a consistent feud with the PCB. 

Amir puts 'retirement U-turn' bet on Babar Azam

Although Amir's last appearance for Pakistan came in 2024, the seasoned campaigner said that he would come out of retirement if Babar Azam plays an impactful knock against India in the T20 World Cup. 

During a Pakistani TV show, Mohammad Amir was one of the panellists alongside ex-cricketers Rashid Latif and Ahmed Shehzad. The anchor asked the trio what would they do if Babar Azam plays a significant role and power Pakistan to glory against their arch-rivals. 

As Babar Azam is their most successful T20I batter, the Men in Green expect a dream outing for him in the crucial face-off. However, given that the right-hander has struggled to accelerate, as evidenced by his strike rate of 117.87, he would certainly be under the pump to deliver against a formidable Indian team. 

Considering Babar's acceleration woes and the strength of the Indian bowling attack, the anchor doubted if the Lahore-born cricketer could play a game-changing knock. So, he wanted to know the views of the panel members, asking them to bet something in Babar's favour.

While Ahmed Shehzad promised a grand treat to the audience, Mohammad Amir stated that he would reverse his retirement if Babar Azam plays a match-winning knock at a strike rate of 150. 

Brutal Truth

@sarkarstix

🚨 Babar Azam mocked by ex-Pak cricketers – Ahmed Shehzad says he’ll host a dinner if Babar plays a match-winning knock vs India – Mohammad Amir jokes he’ll come out of retirement – Rashid Latif mocks Babar: “He never bats that long anyway” 😂😂

Feb 11, 2026, 5:54 PM

Babar Azam's performance in T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan's premier batter Babar Azam had a poor start to the T20 World Cup, getting out cheaply for a sloth-paced 18-ball 15 against the Netherlands. However, he managed to turn things around quickly, scoring 46 runs off just 32 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. 

So, overall, he has amassed 61 runs in the tournament so far at a strike rate of 122. With Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Ali Agha playing as the accelerators, Babar has been assigned an anchor's role in the middle order. 

Talking about Babar's overall performance against India, the Pakistani batter has ordinary numbers, registering 105 T20I runs at a modest average of 26.25 and a strike rate of 128.05. 

These numbers suggest that he hasn't found major success against the arch-rivals and it could be a daunting task for him to dominate the Indian bowlers and score at a rapid rate in the upcoming T20 World Cup match. 

India are set to face Pakistan in their third group-A match of the T20 World Cup on Sunday, February 15.