Shahid Afridi Quits International Cricket In Huff
The Pakistani cricket has usually not been shorn of controversy, but the last 18 months or so have been especially bad for them. Another issue was added to their ever-burgeoning list when their former captain for the limited overs cricket, Shahid Afridi, decided that he had had enough from the Pakistani cricket board and quit international cricket.
Of course, like many of the Pakistani cricketers in the past, his retirement is conditional – Afridi will make it back into international cricket if the current cricket board is overhauled and a new one comes into power.
To be fair to Afridi, one needs to be sympathised with the way he has been treated by the board. Despite having the tendency to shoot from the lip, Afridi has been an inspirational leader given the current scenario and the board could have done its but in fostering some trust and a good relationship with him.
Instead, he was appointed as the captain of the Pakistani squad for the World Cup after much consternation and this was followed by the decision to chuck him out of the role at the end of the West Indies series. This, after he had led the side to their first semi-final berth in World Cup since 1999 and won the side the ODI series 3-2. The board chief, Ejaz Butt had said that they had enough reasons to sack him as the captain but none had been forthcoming.
Speaking to the media, Afridi attacked the functioning of the board and said, "There is nothing bigger than a man's respect, and the way the board has treated me, there is a limit to everything. I will not play under this board. If a different board comes in, I will definitely return but I cannot play under this board. When you have been humiliated like this, by dishonourable people, what is the point in playing on?"
Not that there was any remorse shown by the board, what with the PCB suspending Afridi’s contract and sending him a show cause notice, asking him to explain his comments to the board.
Afridi has had controversies attached to him too. He has been banned by the ICC once before, for tampering the pitch before being suspended for biting into the ball. He has courted controversy by bad-naming the Indian media and resigned from the captaincy of the Test matches in the middle of the tour of England. Later, he criticised the coach Waqar Younis for meddling too much with the selection.
The board has now appointed Misbha ul Haq as the captain of the side in all three formats of the game.
