Idea to give Shahid Afridi farewell series against West Indies dropped

It isn’t happening. The reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would give all-rounder Shahid Afridi a farewell series to call it a day from Twenty20 International cricket hasn’t materialised. He was not a part of the Pakistan squad for the T20I series against West Indies but a few local newspapers suggested that he might be included as the 16th member of the squad.

The board had accepted that chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq was the one who pushed across the idea but no decision could be taken due to PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and the executive committee head Najam Sethi’s absence. While Shaharyar is rehabilitating from a surgery, Sethi is in England on a vacation.

As per the PCB constitution, the decision to appoint or drop the captain can only be taken by the chairman of the board. In a statement, Afridi said, “I have put no pressure on the board nor they on me but whatever happens it will be good and set new precedents,”

“I have always noted that in Pakistan there is no tradition of players retiring gracefully, even the big names. Every player wants to go out on a high and I am no different.

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“Players must exit respectfully since the ones who serve the country with distinction deserve honour. I have had a discussion with Inzi bhai (Inzamam-ul-Haq) who is an elder to me and we will do what is beneficial to both Pakistan cricket and my own self. This would allow players to decide themselves when it is the right time for them to retire gracefully and with dignity.” The former skipper said.

He had earlier announced his willingness to retire from T20Is after the conclusion of Pakistan’s World T20 2016 journey. But following the tournament, he said that he was under immense pressure from his family and friends to reconsider retirement since he still has a lot of cricket left in him.

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