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LAHORE: Pakistan's under-scrutiny all-rounder Shahid Afridi Saturday vowed to play on his own terms and quit on his own terms after being given a possible last chance to improve his performance in one-day matches.
Afridi, who quit Test cricket in 2010, was recalled for Pakistan's five-match one-day series against South Africa, with the country's chief selector Iqbal Qasim warning it could be the last chance for some players, including Afridi.
But Afridi pledged to walk away from the game on his own terms.
“I will never give anyone a chance to speak,” Afridi told reporters.
“I will play cricket on my own terms and leave on my own.”
Afridi has been under pressure to perform after being dropped from the one-day team for the India tour in December last year. He was then selected for Twenty20s only.
The dashing batsman, who holds a world record for smashing a 37-ball century in a one-day match against Sri Lanka in 1996, failed to hit a 50 in his last 12 one-day matches and captured only seven wickets.
Afridi, who turns 33 on Friday when Pakistan take on South Africa in the first of two Twenty20 internationals in Durban, said he plays for his fans.
“If fans want to see me play, I will play, and if they don't want me to play then I will leave,” said Afridi, who has a huge following in Pakistan and other countries.
Pakistan will play five one-day internationals against South Africa, the first starting in Bloemfontein on March 10.
Afridi has so far scored 7,075 runs in 349 one-day matches with 348 wickets -- the most in the 15-man one-day squad announced for South Africa. He has 845 runs and 63 wickets in 58 Twenty20 internationals.
Afridi led Pakistan to the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup where they lost to eventual champions India. But he fell out with then chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt, resulting in his sacking as captain.
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Comments (46) Closed
Feb 23, 2013 02:40pm
i agree with you. why they did not recall Muhammad Yousuf, the most experience.
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Feb 23, 2013 03:21pm
We don't want to see you. Please don't come.
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Feb 23, 2013 02:19pm
Arrogance from Afridi... he should promise his fans a solid performance in the next match rather than resorting to rhetorics
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Feb 23, 2013 03:07pm
Afridi will do good to himselef and his fans if he would please call it a day and retire. He has lost almost all the steam that once upon a time was in abundance and run making and wicket taking machine was his hallmark.
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Feb 23, 2013 01:38pm
I think that all members of Selection Committee, especially IQBAL QASIM must be replaced by good experienced and unbiased persons The team, selected by them, is not up to international cricket standards. The PCB Chairman must take serious notice of the failure of this selection committee an replace them.
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Feb 23, 2013 03:34pm
PCB needs to be revamped. At the moment except for the chairman all notables should be shown the exit door. A new set of professionals of repute should be inducted & given authority to take appropriate action to find & field a winning combination. The current senior players should be awarded a golden handshake & instead promising youngsters be given a place. The coach is OK but most of the current players have well passed their peak so no amount of training will further do any good to them.
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Feb 23, 2013 03:27pm
Afridi's comments appear to be contradictory at best:
1)
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Feb 23, 2013 04:11pm
I remember Iqbal Qassim as a very uninspiring and boring cricketer.
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Feb 24, 2013 07:43am
Performance should speak for itself. Afridi is past his prime. Should realize that he cannot revert to the past. Better for him to retire sooner than later.
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Feb 24, 2013 06:49am
yea..Recall dead people too
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Feb 24, 2013 08:10am
Please Mr:Afridi play or leave if you can,t play then leave thank you.
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Feb 24, 2013 04:48am
Afridi's ODI batting against SA fast bowling and bouncy wickets is a BIG IF!!!
But looking at present batting performance it hardly matters. Now Umar Akmal should be part of Pak test squad even as an opener.
In ODIs SA needs to make supporting wickets for Pak to servive 50 overs,
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Feb 24, 2013 01:47pm
Afridi should face reality, he can no longer play good cricket for the country. It is better for him to bow out with grace and dignity. I was once a fan and to an extent, still am. But he is only prolonging the inevitable.
And to the person who brought Sachin in - what does he have to do with the discussion? LOL even he is facing criticism from certain sections of the media and former players around the world. Sorry but no one is exempt from criticism. We are all human.
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Feb 24, 2013 05:50am
he should go from one day cricket now at the earliest. enough is enough. he should develop patience on field. ALLAH IS WITH SAABIREEEN.
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Feb 24, 2013 12:52pm
afridi--played almost 350 ODI with batting average of 23---bowling record is much better
question is do we need him for bowling or allrounder--we have enough spinner in bowling department
i think all rounder--afridi is done--should go
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Feb 24, 2013 06:50am
I think you live in you past..may be in 80's or 70's
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Feb 23, 2013 04:27pm
Apne aap ko Tendulkar to nahi samajh rahe....
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Feb 23, 2013 04:39pm
This is the tragedy of Pakistan and cricket is no exception - best performers like Afridi booted out and like of Malik, Misbah and three musketeers were being given chances over and over again. Iqbal Qasim needs to take retierment. Pakistan has never produced a cricketer like Afridi.
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Feb 24, 2013 08:54pm
You are very arrogant Afridi ... instead of being thankful that you got a chance to play for your country and fans .... you are spitting filth again!!!!!! Shame on you.....
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Feb 23, 2013 04:41pm
He should have been retired (read fired) 10 years ago. The man has hardly performed. Everytime the team depended on him to do something with the bat, he fell flat. His wicket has become a bonus, even if a wicket-keeper bowls an over, he could get Afridi out. Shame on him for following his ego rather than doing any good for the team, country or nation.
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Feb 23, 2013 05:01pm
Best performers like afridi.....what a joke
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Feb 23, 2013 05:03pm
Bhai ye he tu museebat hay. Na Tendulkar app ke jaan chor rahe han aur na aridi hamari
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Feb 23, 2013 05:03pm
First of all at this crucial juncture in time and history of his cricketing career, I wish Shahid Afridi the best of luck.
Nevertheless, being an ardent supporter and fan of Shahid Afridi since his early cricketing days, may I suggest to him that if he is so confident of his on-the-field cricketing traits, abilities and skills, then the best way for him to dictate his terms as to when he wants to leave or retire from International cricket is to 'let his batting and bowling do the talking' as they say, in the up-upcoming ODI and T20 series against South Africa.
Hopefully Shahid Afridi is sensible, mature, educated and smart enough to know and realize the centuries old universal principle of age. He must also show enough guts and the grit to understand about the fact that 'age is catching-up fast' on him like any body else. In fact, he does not have much more time to stay physically fit like he was in 1996, when he scored his fastest ODI century against Sri Lanka in Kenya against the then world champions; Sri Lanka.
Of course Shahid Afridi is an excellent cricketer in his class, type. status and design. On his day in the field, he has the God given qualities to turn the tables on any opposition in the world. However, whether he likes it or not, the up coming ODI and T20 series in South Africa might be his last and final opportunity to show and prove his mettle not only to his die hard fans like me but also to his critics, foes and adversaries. May God Almighty grant him more on and off the field successes in cricket as well as his personal life. Aameen, Tsum Aameen.
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Feb 23, 2013 05:06pm
Haha......then he would be ready for comeback number 60 or 61.
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Feb 24, 2013 08:51pm
What just happened to Pakistan is because of injustice that Muhammad Yousuf has be meted out by PCB........ The team has suffered from abject humiliation.....
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Feb 23, 2013 05:18pm
so he doesn't play of the country but for his fans...another Afridi special!!!
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Feb 23, 2013 05:24pm
Afridi a best performer? Please keep the fourth dimension in mind when judging someone's performance. We're in the year 2013 now.
Raja
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Feb 23, 2013 05:40pm
"I will leave on my own terms". Sorry boy, Musharaf has same thinking,
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Feb 23, 2013 05:45pm
Might as well call Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad and Imran back too.. they are even more experienced then Yousuf!
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Feb 23, 2013 06:25pm
He is not Sachin to take decision on his own term ...rather afridi will be kicked off
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Feb 23, 2013 06:31pm
nothing personal but whats your contribution for Pakistan's National interest sir? what others in South Africa are performing for Pakistani pride. Hippocratic selectors and audience is the main reason for this downfall.
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Feb 23, 2013 07:01pm
Mr. Raja, Afridi's logic is simple. What his fans want, is what Afridi wants. So his comments are not contradictory - plus he is telling the selector "to jump in the lake". I admire his courage - wish he could restore his cricket!
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Feb 23, 2013 07:42pm
you gotta be kidding me .. no no you goota be kidding the cricket world ... but i agree that Pakistan has never produced a cricketer like Afridi, in fact to team ever has produced such a careless and irresponsible player.
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Feb 23, 2013 07:48pm
Why dont they recall Hanif Muhammad, he is the most experienced batsman in Pak
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Feb 23, 2013 08:18pm
Iqbal Qasim himself being a below average cricketer giving deadlines ... he was one of the most uninspiring and boring player in pak cricketing history ... a poor player and failed admin and cricket runner can only speak such non sense .....
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Feb 23, 2013 08:59pm
you are a true indian tandulkar had 3/4th of his runs scored in india that show his caliber and unlike afridi he is no crowd puller and no contribution as a bowler.The great players have more runs out of their own country in unfavourable circumstances example viv richard
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Feb 23, 2013 09:41pm
Roger,
That will never happen as long as this corrupt government stays in power. This governmnet should be the most useless government in the history of all time. They have destroyed every institution of this great country and people are still sleeping. I have no expectations what is so ever and no one should have either.
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Feb 23, 2013 10:17pm
what about the rest of the team who are not performing in test cricket , how much chance they should get. Misbahul haq how long. He is no use. He is no use in one day. should we not find replacement for him? Why all the eyes on Shahid Afridi. I dont understnad one more thing why Shaid Afridi still go and play at position 5 or 6., why can't he go onedonw or open in 20 20. Even if you lose him that is okay, that so usual to lose early wicket in 20/20.
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Feb 23, 2013 10:22pm
just to tell you , the country is being rapped, all the insinuation of country is looted and destroyed. Don't you think same people have eyes on cricket and finishing it up it. The first attach was on the Srilankan team. Just try to match the dots and you know the answer.
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Feb 23, 2013 11:56pm
tandulkar is ur bhagwan
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Feb 24, 2013 12:48am
Iqbal Qasim's statement is uncalled for and so is Afridi's response. Selecters should not pressurize players by giving ultimatums. And at the same time players should not pass remarks that have rebellious underpinnings.
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Feb 24, 2013 01:47am
True. Fans? Man, only insane folks will want him in the team. He is actually killing one valuable player's future and playing an important role is Pakistan's failure.
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Feb 24, 2013 02:29am
So he will play if the fans want him to ? Which means that he really does not care much about the results the team gets. As long as he can have his ego fed by the cheering hoardes and get enough of a following to win the contract for the next shampoo ad, he will deny another possibly more deserving person a spot at earning his living.
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Feb 24, 2013 02:46am
nahi.. kion ke Pakistan me Afridi ko jitna pyar milta he, utna Tendulkar ko kabhi nhi mil sakta..
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Feb 24, 2013 03:30am
I dream a dream, one day:
PCB will be made of inspiring leaders and decision makers
Crickters will play with national pride as Pakistani Sportsmen
Arrogance and inflated ego will replace humbleness
Saying Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim before every statement will not be uttered
fashionably but as a true reflection of their humbleness and sincerity in every action.
All of us will take responsibility for our own actions and behaviour never forgetting
that we are fortunate to be alive with blessings of God
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Feb 24, 2013 03:53am
i am a FAN, and i DONT WANT YOU TO PLAY !!!
LEAVE NOW
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