Afridi due from London to sort out cricketing problems

Deposed Pakistan One-day Captain Shahid Afridi is due to return here on Sunday to sort out his cricketing problems after stern action of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) against him.Flamboyant all-rounder Afridi is passing through most taxing phase in his career after opening a fierce war against PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt.Shahid Afridi, who led Pakistan in the semifinals of Cricket World Cup earlier this year, may appear before a PCB disciplinary committee with his legal firm Mandiwala & Zafar Associates officials.

Under the breach of code of conduct, PCB came hard on Shahid Afridi by terminating his Central Contract and revoked all his Non Objection Certificates (NOCs) for playing overseas.
While announcing his retirement from international cricket, in protest for PCB mistreating him, Shahid Afridi has said that he will not play cricket for Pakistan under the present management.
In the meantime supporting and welcoming banners for Shahid Afridi were seen in the different parts of the city which asked the cricket lovers to receive the embattled all-rounder at Jinnah International airport on Sunday evening.
Because of his popularity across the country Shahid Afridi  is getting the sympathy of supporters which may rise with arrival back home.
Meanwhile former test cricketers blamed PCB for mishandling Shahid Afridi issue which led to his retirement from international cricket and opening a war against board chairman.
“I think Afridi shouldn’t have crossed the line at first. But if he had made the mistake being the captain, PCB should have handled out in proper professional manner,” former test left arm spinner Iqbal Qasim  said.
“Pakistan cricket is already suffering from various problems and PCB-Afridi issue made us laughing stock in the world,” he said.
He said Shahid Afridi definitely led Pakistan from the front during the Cricket World Cup and 21 wickets were key to take his team into the semifinals.
Shahid Afridi went through lean patch during the caribbean trip where he could manage to score 28 runs and just two wickets in five matches one-day international series.
“Incompetency within PCB is the main problem which has taken Pakistan cricket beyond repair,” he commented.  He said board is lacking in consistency which they clearly reflected in the past three years.          
Salim Yousuf said PCB decision in the past has been very inconsistent and they reverted many decision which created doubts in public.
He said if PCB was not happy with his captaincy during the West Indies then why he was selected for the series against Ireland.
“PCB failed to learn from their previous mistakes which is causing more problems in Pakistan cricket,” he concluded.

Shahid Afridi's retirement resonates in Sindh Assembly

Sindh Sports minister Dr MA Shah, known for his love of cricket, raised the controversial retirement of Shahid Afridi from international cricket in the Sindh Assembly here on Friday and alleged that the cricketer was being targeted under a conspiracy.
Rising on his seat after the regular question hour, the minister under the rule 215 of rules of procedures of Sindh Assembly made the statement in which he spoke on the retirement of Afridi who he said belonged to Sindh and alleged that the popular cricketer was being targeted under a conspiracy which he said was being allegedly hatched by the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt himself.
He said that it was not the first time that conspiracies were launched against the players of Sindh. Even Pakistan's batsman Muhammad Yousuf whose in-laws were settled in Sindh was removed from the national team under a conspiracy. He alleged that conspiracy was on to remove Asad Shafiq who is currently playing for Pakistan because he was from Sindh.
He alleged that Sindh players would continue to suffer until the chairman of the PCB was removed. A number of legislators supported the minister and one of them Agha Siraj Durrani even went to the extent of calling for making a person from Sindh as chairman of the PCB because no one from Sindh was ever made head of the cricket body.
He even suggested that Dr. Shah should be made the chief of the board. He had all the credentials to head the PCB. He said that when Dr. Shah became the PCB chairman he should not forget to take him and others to watch matches abroad. He said there should be more players from Sindh in Pakistan team. The speaker of the Assembly Nisar Khuhro agreed with Siraj and said that Sindhi speaking players should be included in Pakistan team. Dr Shah informed the house that one Sindhi speaking cricketer Azeem Ghumman was appointed captain of Pakistan under 19 cricket team that toured Zimbabwe in the recent past. Under his captaincy, he said Pakistan did not lose any match on the tour. Dr Shah said though team from Sindh was the current national pentangular champion but the PCB had ignored selecting players from that team.