KARACHI: Former Paki­stan captain Shahid Afridi, while talking from Kohat through video link with Sports Journalists on Sunday, lashed out at former Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev for snubbing an offer from pacer Shoaib Akhtar to hold a Pakistan-India cricket series to raise funds for people of Pakistan and India and help them cope with the massive crisis situation caused due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“Coronavirus is a common enemy for the entire world and we need unity to defeat this virus,” said Afridi. “I fully agree to Shoaib Akhtar’s sug­g­e­stion to play cricket with Ind­ia but unfortunately Modi’s government never supported India-Pakistan cricket and they are still doing so beca­use of their negative mindset.

“But I am more surprised at the res­ponse of Kapil Dev who said that India doesn’t need to do any funds raising with Pakistan,” said Afridi. “I expe­cted better of him and feel one should not talk like this in these crisis times.

“I recently saw a video where some of the poor Indian people were picking food from the garbage to eat due to poverty and lockdown problems. That is terrible really. Both the countries should collectively help such people.”

Afridi further said that Ind­ian media allegations against Pakistan to hatch a conspiracy to spread coronoavirus across the border is sheer stupidity and nothing else.

Afridi, whose organisation Shahid Afridi Foundation is doing a tremendous welfare service to thousands of people by providing them ration and necessary items at many cities including Karachi, Chitral and Kohat, suggested that Prime minister Imran Khan should invite all political parties and leaders to work together to defeat the coronavirus crisis and fears.

“As our leader and as Prime Minister, Imran Khan should invite all politicial parties so everyone is on one page to fight against coronavirus and ensure safety and well being of people across Pakistan,” said Afridi.

“The economic situation as well as that of people stranded in their houses without any jobs or food due to lockdown can create an ever bigger crisis in our country than the virus itself,” he observed. “So the Government should involve all parties and NGos and let us hand over certain areas and responsibilities to each of them and streamline the ration distribution and rescue system.”

Commenting on the abolishment of departmental cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Afridi said: “ I myself played for the departments and witnessed how departments really salvaged domestic cricket in Pakistan and helped it thrive decade after decade.

“Departments take good care of the players and spend lots of money on the development of domestic cricket, so how can departmental cricket hurt Pakistan cricket,” questioned Afridi.

“I request the Prime Min­ister to please resume departmental cricket as its need of the hour. PCB also should announce a special package for the needy cricketers.”

Afridi minced no words in criticizing the PCB over its ‘fitness hang-up’ and said had training had begun to render many players injured. “PCB is always harping on hard training and repeated fitness test these days which defies logic as many of the main players are complaining that they are getting injured,” said Afridi.

“I don’t know why PCB is taking fitness tests every 20 or 30 days. The players are getting injured because of excessive training. I know many leading players who are now suffering from many main.players are suffering from knee or shoulder injuries which can be a big problem for Pakistan in the World T20,” argued Afridi.

“Head coach Misbah ul Haq should take notice of this and ask trainers to plan fitness plan for individual players as every player have a different sort of body and fitness levels.”

As for the tainted players, Afridi with a wry smile commented: “We haven’t made an example out of the corrupt or tain­ted players in the past, so how can we expect all young pla­y­ers to be clean and honest and not indulge in wrong practices.

“In short, the PCB should have same policy for all players and that will show the way. But since some players have comeback to the national team despite their misdeed, others too get some hope of a second innings,” said Afridi.

In the end, the dashing all-rounder requested all top cricketers and celebrities to support his foundation and emphasised that it is pay back time for the country and we should donate generously.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2020