Afridi has passed his prime: Sarfraz

E-Paper | March 11, 2026

KARACHI: Former Test pace bowler Sarfraz Nawaz has expressed his surprise over Shahid Afridi hinting at continuing to play Twenty20 Internationals after the forthcoming World T20.

“Afridi has passed his prime and hardly performed up to the mark in the Pakistan Super League,” Sarfraz said in an interview on Wednesday. “He took just ten wickets in the PSL and scored 87 runs which shows his decline.”

Afridi, Sarfraz insisted, should stick to his decision of leaving the international arena after the World T20.

Sarfraz also disagreed to Afridi’s view that there was no real talent coming up in Pakistan.

“Pakistan has got a lot of [cricketing] talent and there is a need to give them exposure in international cricket,” he remarked.

“Pakistan has a number of talented bowlers who are better than Afridi, and can replace him. [Leg-spinner] Yasir Shah will be returning to international cricket next month to fill the gap [in case of Afridi’s retirement],” Sarfraz said.

Meanwhile, former opener Ramiz Raja said Afridi should not be confused about his decision to retire after the World T20.

“Quitting international cricket is not an easy decision for any player and Afridi should show sportsman spirit in making an appropriate call [on his T20 International career],” Ramiz stated.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2016

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Akil Akhtar

Feb 25, 2016 07:55am

No one resigns respectfully in Pakistan...they have to be pushed and then they complain of not being treated properly..

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Krishna Ryali

Feb 25, 2016 08:06am

Afridi and Harbhajan singh both passed their prime long back, they are burden to their respective teams

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Feb 25, 2016 08:19am

Retiring respectfully is ideal but it's very hard for any sportsman to accept that he/ she has passed the prime. Usually being dropped by selection committee often catalysts the retirement decision. PCB needs to have a word with Afridi and ensure that he is not unduly selected if he is not performing upto expectations anymore. At the end, whether Afridi retires or not, it's selection committee's decision to select or drop him from the side solely based on performance.

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ahmed kashif saeed

Feb 25, 2016 08:34am

its right time for afridi to say good by to cricket and focus on his other activities. He should follow Imran Khan.

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Tariq

Feb 25, 2016 09:25am

Afridi is history and his good luck had works him too much. PSL matches completely exposes his pathetic form and lack of any real urge for cricket at international arena.

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Sheraz

Feb 25, 2016 09:28am

Please Afridi leave with dignity and pridi... You have done your part of job for the country now its other peoples turn.....

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Faisal Naqvi

Feb 25, 2016 09:30am

Joke of the century. . I want to see whether I am capable of taking the team foward on the back of my performances ( Afridi ). . Lala have never been, sorry but you have never been.

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AdHawk

Feb 25, 2016 09:50am

Take a lesson from Brendon McCullum.

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AdHawk

Feb 25, 2016 09:55am

Sarfraz Nawaz also had to be forced out back in his day. Ramiz, to my knowledge, never officially tendered his retirement.

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dawn

Feb 25, 2016 09:58am

The only time I agree with Sarfrazthough he should have added 'long time ago'.

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Nak

Feb 25, 2016 10:24am

I he needs to be pushed out, alongwith the people who have undermined our world cup by letting him captain it.

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Nak

Feb 25, 2016 10:28am

This guy stopped playing for Pakistan a long time ago, and has only played for himself, his ego, and for his endorsement deals. I guess he's having second thoughts about getting off the gravy train.

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KAZ

Feb 25, 2016 10:29am

Perhaps the greatest captain ever who played the game of cricket, with his mere presence as captain ensures precious win 40% of the time and loses only the remaining rest, inculcate youngsters how try to hit every ball for 6 & get yourself in the dressing room even b4 one blinks the eye, showed how to eat a ball literally, how to do soil digging for run harvesting right on the pitch and how gracefully one needs to give interviews... so much to learn from him.. he really needs to be there for another decade on the field.

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hassan

Feb 25, 2016 10:41am

im with Ramiz and Sarfraz on this one.

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Saj

Feb 25, 2016 11:19am

@ AHMED KASHIF SAEED "its right time for afridi to say good by to cricket and focus on his other activities. He should follow Imran Khan" There is no need for him to say Goodbye to cricket even after retirement from the international arena and we certainly dont need another Imran Khan kind of politician. Shahid Afridi can serve vital interest in developing cricket in Pakistan, by promoting PSL for example, and still continue playing in other leagues as he is still a crowd puller.

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Philosopher (from Japan)

Feb 25, 2016 11:23am

He won't leave he will be forced to leave.

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Deewana

Feb 25, 2016 11:32am

If he leaves before world cup, it would be a favor. He is a bad influence on team and that showed in Zalmi performance also after first two matches of PSL.

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Shahid

Feb 25, 2016 11:57am

Even if he has passed his prime, there is no one to replace him. At least he either hit big or goes back without playing dot balls. The new commers, Imad Wasim, Anwer Ali, Nawaz or who ever calls himself an all-rounder have been on show in PSL very recently.

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Naveed

Feb 25, 2016 12:19pm

Agreed....Afridi is the most useless player

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BILLI

Feb 25, 2016 12:24pm

I agree with Sarf, for Afridi in fact passed his sell-by date a long time back. He was never a class player in the mould of Imran Khan or Wasim Akram, two greats who earned respect and admiration due to the sheer weight of their classy performances consistently around the world. Afridi rarely did that, he gets a good score in one match and then next 10 matches he never scores runs....same with bowling. These days he looks sloppy and lazy....Pakistan has many talented players who can do better than him and produce consistent results. Time for Afridi to go gracefully and let young chaps take over.

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Guest66

Feb 25, 2016 01:00pm

PCB should Act Fast and Furious and show him the door at the 1st hurdle where he does not perform , I am referring to the T20 Asia cup now under way . If He performs and the team goes to the Final , fine keep him fot the WorldCup T20 , Nothing Less should be the target for him still wearing the greens . This Asia cup Must be his last chance to qualify for leading or playing in the Wordlcup T20 , If he does not perform or the team does not reach the Final here , Show him the Door , We Can not see another Khan at another World Stage to be forced into the team and then the team fails ( Younus Khan did that in the ODI world cup down under )

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Zahid Akbar

Feb 25, 2016 01:14pm

Those in power seldom try to shed away. Just see how powerful he is, announced after being defeated by Islamabad United that Shajeel Khan will get present for his hundred runs, without consent of Selectors and next morning Shajeel Khan was in the team. Poor Iftikhar and Azam a victim without playing.

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Zahid Akbar

Feb 25, 2016 01:23pm

@Shahid In fact we need specialist bowler to replace him and not all-rounder. He has miserably failed in batting in last 10 T20s, therefore no more an all- rounder.

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Zahid Akbar

Feb 25, 2016 01:29pm

His captaincy has left much to be desired. He had best of bowling attack in PSL, despite failed to qualify for final. Real tactics in captaincy came from Misbah and Sarfraz, who used their stock bowlers to best of their ability and performed. Misbah should rethink and join T20s as well.

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Talha

Feb 25, 2016 02:02pm

Agree with Sarfaraz.

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asad

Feb 25, 2016 02:21pm

It is the right time for Afridi to say good by to cricket.

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Qamar Malik

Feb 25, 2016 02:40pm

I really donno what and who is he interfering in personal decision ...Afridi has been given job till he wanna do it ...and its PCBs decision ..

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Abdul Malik

Feb 25, 2016 02:50pm

Afridi is a spent force for quite sometime. His performance in the recent past speak volumes of his decline. It's about time he hangs his gloves and call it a day.

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Abdulla Hussain

Feb 25, 2016 02:52pm

I think Afridi is planning to play until he is 50 plus. being fit & playing fit are two different things. Over the years Afridi has lost the batting spark in himself. Howsoever he tries to convince peoples to accept him as a bowler first won't do the job, he has to perform with his bat or say good bye to international cricket alternatively he will be forced dropped. Younis Khan is no ordinary player when he can get ignored by PCB on the basis of his slack performance why Afridi will not be made to go through the same.

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Feb 25, 2016 02:54pm

It's shocking to hear such comments coming from Sarfraz, Afridi still holds more respect than any other player in the team and so his contribution. I agree that players should retire in respectful manner and possibly at the top of their career so they are remembered in good words. Having said that Sarfraz has no right nor decency to not say something like that publicly. How about you tell your record as batsmen too in PSL ?

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Talha

Feb 25, 2016 03:04pm

A moment of silence for Afridi!!...................................... that's it.

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Shahdab

Feb 25, 2016 03:32pm

How short is the public memory. Forgotten are the times we held our head high because of the way Afridi dominated bowlers all round the world. His was and still the most prized wicket in the Pakistani line up and my bet he is the best bowler in Pakistan for the shorter formats. Mark my words, the world cup will shut all the critics up for good.

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sikander shallwani

Feb 25, 2016 03:38pm

MrAfridi your time is over. We thank your contribution to Pakistan Cricket

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M.Saeed

Feb 25, 2016 04:25pm

According to the normal routine of human endeavors, one reaches his prime at 35 and then, the downhill starts. In sports, the downhill journey is much earlier. Shahid Afridi would be 36 by next week and should be well past his prime. Moreover, cricket is a game of sharp reflexes. There are several very simple tests of assessing one's keen reflexes and PCB must prescribe benchmarks for passing the minimum limit, before signing the players.

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Zia

Feb 25, 2016 04:50pm

Afridi does not realize that he has always been a below average player. Only thing that he brought was momentary excitement and probability of surprise. He thinks so much of himself when he says no new talent is not coming but he would be surprised that in every nook and corner of the country teenagers can beat him on any given day in bowling and batting to show him the mirror.

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effy

Feb 25, 2016 04:58pm

Afridi needs to be dropped now. He doesnt even deserve to be playing for Pak forget being the captain.

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khan

Feb 25, 2016 05:25pm

@K Which Sarfraz are you talking about?

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Mukhtar Zafarabadi

Feb 25, 2016 05:51pm

Boom boom Afridi is the greatest enterainer cricket has ever produced. He can take his own decision. He doesnt needs anybody's suggestion to quit.

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Tanweer Khan

Feb 25, 2016 05:51pm

@Shahid In his T20 international career, he only averages 18.23 runs with the bat. The only thing in Afridi's favour is his strike rate (149.37) and that most of his 18.23 runs come off boundaries (59.10%). If he was averaging in the mid-30's like Gayle, Pietersen or Guptill, then yes that would be a valuable member of the team. But someone who only averages 18 can hardly be classed as dependable - and in PSL he only averaged 14.5 (with a highest score of 38, second best of 17, and on more than half the time he didn't get past 10 runs). Do you really want a person who is a liability batting-wise? Yes, he may not waste deliveries, but a wasted delivery is usually much better than getting out. If Afridi was 15 years younger, you could argue that he will get better, fitter and stronger, and with his bowling there could be a case to keep him in the team. But not now - on merit there are batter batsmen and better bowlers. Let's give them a chance and build for a post-Afridi era.

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optimist

Feb 26, 2016 02:44am

If Afridi retires Pakistan cricket would lose its glamour, charm and crowd.

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E.Lodhia

Feb 26, 2016 04:28am

Please retire gracefully Afridi bhai.Sarfaraz should be appointed captain after World Cup.If Afridi play exceptionally well at domestic level, he can be considered as a player,but realistically he has passed his glory days.

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Sense

Feb 26, 2016 06:28am

The game has passed him by,should not humiliate himself and the nation

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Que

Feb 26, 2016 04:51pm

Sarfraz is a man who envies Afridi fame! This comment and the comments he has made in the past about Afridi proves the point... So who cares what this guy has to say!!!!

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