Pakistan

PCB removes Shahid Afridi as ODI team captain

Shahid Afridi removed as one-day captain for the forthcoming series against Ireland. Misbah-ul-Haq to lead team.

Reuters May 19, 2011

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board has removed Shahid Afridi as one-day team captain for the forthcoming series against Ireland.

Chairman of the board Ijaz Butt told a media conference in Islamabad that senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq would lead the team in the two one-day matches against Ireland on May 28 and 30.

"Afridi has been retained as a player in the one-day squad but the captaincy has gone to Misbah," Butt said without elaborating the reason for the decision.

Afridi had captained the team to the World Cup semi-finals where they lost to India and recently also guided them to a 3-2 win over the West Indies in the ODI series in the Caribbean.

Afridi ruffled feathers in the PCB and team when he returned from the Caribbean early this month and told the media that he was not happy with people interfering in his work.

Although the all-rounder didn't name names, media reports said he had developed differences with head coach Waqar Younis over team selection issues.

The PCB issued a notice to Afridi to explain his conduct as he had violated the players' code of conduct with his statement on team affairs.

Butt made it clear Afridi had never been given any assurances regarding the captaincy.

He pointed out that the present policy of the board was to appoint captain on a series-to-series basis.

Afridi had struggled with bat and ball in the one-day series in the West Indies but has been leading the national team in limited overs cricket since early 2010 while Misbah has been test captain since last year.

The national selectors have made no changes in the test squad playing in the West Indies at present but included Afridi and senior batsman Younis Khan in the side for the Ireland matches.

Younis had returned home before the first test in the West Indies due to the death of his elder brother.

Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Younis Khan, Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Salman,Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Tanvir Ahmed, Hammad Azam.

COMMENTS (25)

Haider Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply Ijaz Butt is destroying Pakistan Cricket...Go to hell Butt!!

Sami | 13 years ago | Reply What a great decision he has made? He should resigned from the Job.

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Saman | 13 years ago | Reply No doubt they should try other people for afridi cannot always lead the team....But Misbah is the last person i wish to see as captain in odi(s)….Butt has completely lost it and he should be removed from his captaincy of the “Ponka Cricket Board” *Thanks to him and company*

Dr. Saleem Siddiqi | 13 years ago | Reply @dsc: Fully agree with you. Afridi should take Batting lessons from any good Batting Coach preferably from Gilchrist (presently performing in IPL). He must prove to lead from the front. He is only proving to be TULLAY-BAAZ which is not acceptable. BOOM-BOOM Tullay Baaz. He is a continoues failure in batting and bowling also not consistant at all. This puts un-necessary pressure on the batting side. Captain should send him at number 11. He still has time to improve before BCCP finally dump him out from the team and give chance to any new emerging player.

Adeel | 13 years ago | Reply Hate saying that but the current administration has yet again showed its bias against players from Karachi....`cause they are not sattay baaz

Syed Sohail Nasir | 13 years ago | Reply Afridi we love U, thanks for another evil decision Mr.Butt.

blithe | 13 years ago | Reply Afridi was never been captain material. How can someone so hopeless at managing his innings manage a team? And he just cannot instill confidence in players - he is openly complaining about fellow players. It time to put the Afridi madness away from the captaincy role!

dsc | 13 years ago | Reply afridi has lost his charishma see his runs scored since worldcup he should be removed from team and give chance to new allrounder

NOOR | 13 years ago | Reply there is train of the bad decisions and this is another addition

AJZ | 13 years ago | Reply Bad decision.. Afridi united the Pak team after so many controversies. He played his important role as captain. Uniting the team and performing as a good and difficult bowler. highest wicket taker in WC'11. very good fielder as well. this decision will affect his performance as well. People of Pakistan will not support this decision. Pakistan won T20 worldcup 2009 becoz of his major role as bowler, batsman and fielder. He has taken Pakistan to semifinal of T20 worldcup 2010 becoz of his captaincy. and now, he has taken again Pakistan to semifinal of Worldcup 2011 becoz of his gud captaincy.. We will miss you afridi as captain.. :(

HRK | 13 years ago | Reply Although Afridi is a very dynamic team-player and has great leadership qualities, he has lost his charisma due to losing his head on-field and off-field. Only if he could learn to keep quiet, he wouldn't be too much of a media hype magnet. Misbah, although not very energetic like Afridi, is soft spoken and has a laid back approach. I cannot understand why the public cannot swallow the fact that he can certainly manage the team better than Afridi and instead blames him for his slow innings against India in WC SF. He has lead SNGPL to so many titles in the domestic tournament and has led the national test team from the front since he was appointed captain. Remember, Afridi will most probably be his deputy and will pitch in everything he can, so we still have not lost anything. However, Ijaz the chairman is still someone who needs to be kicked out, since he is putting too much pressure on skippers.

blizzard | 13 years ago | Reply pee see bee!!! go bac to sleep..... we like it when you are away... ;-)

T | 13 years ago | Reply Ijaz Butt needs to Butt out!!!

D. Powers | 13 years ago | Reply Musical Chair of captaincy goes on in Pakistan Cricket. Mr. Butt plays the music and stops and starts it at will.

Gill | 13 years ago | Reply Isn't it time to go for Mr. Butt. Is there nobody amongst the past players who can take this role........... come on!!

Jamli | 13 years ago | Reply What is the reality behind this devolving cap of captaincy like a pass game. We have to appreciate to PCB that Chairman still retain his position with political mind. Chief Selector also compromised to prevail its current position without caring the future of Pakistan Cricket. We should not blame so much to PCB because every organisation go downword due to our bad Government. Same map follow by all organizations designed by our top management.

Afshan Y Jujara | 13 years ago | Reply Apparently Misbah is a better puppet, so obviously it had to happen one of these days.

MAD | 13 years ago | Reply Younus Khan won the T-20 world cup. weeks later he was dumped as captain. Shahid Afridi took the team to the semi-finals against all odds. weeks later he is dumped. It seems that whenever a captain seems to get the public behind him he is removed so that the PCB can always have a yes man in place as captain. We can only pray for divine intervention for the removal of Ijaz Butt. no one will miss him.

Sana Mushtaq | 13 years ago | Reply WHAT MORE NOW!!!!! What does ejaz butt wants now??? complete crap...how can misbah lead us...thhnx 4 another worse decisn Mr.Ejaz Butt..

Yousaf | 13 years ago | Reply wow!! just wow.. tell me which Department of Pakistan is progressing!

Abhinav | 13 years ago | Reply I think this is a conspiracy to undermine Pakistani cricket.

Abdul | 13 years ago | Reply The PCB has taken this decision to pressurise the current test captain and announced it just before the 2nd test match.

Fahad Raza | 13 years ago | Reply WHAT!?! Misbah.!! Hadn't we saw it coming. Look who won the ODI series thick skull, and who Lost Test. PCB the Pathetic cricket board

Israr | 13 years ago | Reply i think mr.butt should be the non-playing captain of the team...lolz

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