Mohammad Amir's top 5 performances in Test cricket

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir dropped a bombshell on Pakistan cricket fans on Friday, announcing that he was quitting Test cricket at the tender age of 27.

Amir played only 36 matches in his 10-year Test career, which began in July 2009 against Sri Lanka and saw him play his final game in Jan 2019 against South Africa.

He took 119 wickets at an average of 30.47, and bagged four five-wicket hauls.

Geo Super looks back at Amir's brief career in the five-day format and highlights his top five performances.

5-52 against England in 2010 at Kennington Oval

Just a year after making his debut, Amir travelled with Pakistan to England. After showing glimpses of his massive potential in the first two of the four-Test series, he truly unleashed himself in the second innings of the third Test. 

The then 18-year-old fresh-faced southpaw picked up his first career fiver, four of which were of recognised English batsmen such as the captain Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior. The feat made him the the youngest cricketer to bag a five in England.

His devastation skittled England out for just 222 runs and left Pakistan with a target of just 148, which they achieved, albeit for the loss of 6 wickets.

Pakistan halved their series deficit to 2-1, and Amir was named the man of the match for the first time in his Test career.

6-84 against England in 2010 at Lord's

While the rest of Pakistan's bowling unit struggled in the final Test at Lord's, Amir continued where he had left in the previous Test.

England piled up 446 runs in the opening innings but it was despite Amir's performance than because of it. He took six wickets for just 84 run, toying with the English batsmen at times. 

It was that performance and the extraordinary potential that had Michael Holding's eyes moist when the spot-fixing report came out on the third day of the Test.

6-44 against West Indies in 2017 at Sabina Park 

Amir was at his devastating best when he played his first-ever Test in West Indies — also the only series he played in the Caribbean. 

Now a full-grown man, Amir dismantled the Windies top order than returned to wreak havoc among the tail to finish with a six-for. It proved the final time he bagged a six-wicket haul in Test cricket.

However, legspinner Yashir Shah overshadowed Amir's six-for with a six-for of his own in the second innings and pipped the pacer for the player-of-the-match award.

5-79 against Australia at MCG in 2009

Just a few months after his international debut and helping Pakistan raise the 2009 World T20 trophy, Amir was a part of the team's tour of Australia.

Amir struggled against the experienced Aussies the first time he bowled to them in Test cricket, going wicketless and conceding 101 runs.

But the precocious talent that he was, he wised up in the next innings of the same match, completely destroying the Aussies middle-order, which back then included names such as Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke.

Australia still won the match by 170 runs but Amir had delivered on his promise even as a 17-year-old.

48-run knock against Australia at the Gabba in 2016

Pakistan were whitewashed 3-0 on their tour of Australia in 2016 but they came very close to nicking one in the opening Test. 

Given a gargantuan 490-run target to chase in the fourth innings, all hope had seemed lost when Pakistan's score read 220-6. 

However, Asad Shafiq (137) found consistent help among tail-enders and took the score to 450 runs, eventually falling just 39 runs from a historic win.

Among his biggest helpers was Amir, who chipped in with a 63-ball 48 and formed a 92-run stand with Shafiq for the seventh wicket.