Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, in an interview with DawnNews on Tuesday, claimed coach Waqar Younis was working on his “own agendas” and could not stand the fact that the all-rounder was stealing all the limelight during the pair’s time together in the national setup.

Afridi’s trademark blunt comments could once again trigger a repeat of the public wrangling that the two men were involved in recently and which eventually led to the sacking of Afridi as ODI captain.

The star all-rounder, whose international career fell on the wayside some two months ago, was at his candid best in an hour long interview upon his return from England where he helped his county Hampshire reach the semi-finals of the domestic T20 competition.

Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket in May this year after he was snubbed of captaincy following the tour of West Indies. He was later fined Rs 4.5 million for his outburst against Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team management. However, ‘Boom Boom’ had no regrets over his decision.

He stated that he made the call at the right time. “I was tolerating interference from the coach and manager in my decisions from the outset, a senior and outstanding cricketer like Waqar Younis could not stand the fact that the limelight was all on me and started working on his own agendas which only disrupted the team environment.”

Afridi added that a captain only needed the support and guidance of a coach and the role should be confined to that alone. He cited the example of leading teams from around the world who had trained coaching staff playing a supporting role.

“At the international level players do not need coaching; they make it to the top after adequate exposure at junior levels. The coaching staff ought to be qualified with proper certification which would enable them to understand the nuances of the job,” he said while adding that good cricketers did not necessarily make good coaches.

Afridi who remains one of the most popular cricketers around the world also took a swipe at the administrators of the game in the country.

“There is no code of conduct for officials and administrators of the cricket board; they can say what ever they want to while the players are caged. It is high time that they realise that it is the players who make the money and bring sponsorship for PCB. The players are the reason for the existence of the administrators rather than the other way around.”

While Afridi’s rift with the PCB is set to continue, leaving his retirement intact, the player has stints with Australian, South African and Bangladeshi outfits lined up.

Despite the offers though, Boom Boom has his heart set on representing Pakistan again. He feels that this is an obligation that he has with millions who have adored him in the last 15 years.

“My late father always wanted me to play for Pakistan; he told me that my priority should be my country and I will always respect his feelings.”

He vowed to return to the national team whenever a new set-up took over the PCB.

The belligerent hitter also recalled the highs and lows of his career; he still cherishes his world record breaking century against Sri Lankan in his maiden One Day innings in Nairobi in 1996.

Afridi claimed that the innings was simply a blessing of the Almighty as he had no plan but to attack every ball in that 37-ball hundred.

Besides the century, victory in the T20 World Championship in England in 2009 where he won the man of the match award in both the semi-final and the final of the tournament gave him immense pleasure and satisfaction.

Afridi also held the response of the fans to the performance of the team in the World Cup 2011 dearly. He added that the reaction to the defeat against India in the semi-final was unprecedented and so was the response to the fighting spirit shown by his team.

On the flip side the 1999 World Cup final defeat and the tragic death of coach Bob Woolmer during the 2007 World Cup are memories that continue to haunt the all-rounder.