“Let me state from the outset, Misbah is the best choice as Pakistan captain for the World Cup,” said Afridi. “I have always backed him whenever I have played under him, just as he had when I had the honour to captain the Pakistan side.”
Afridi was also quick to highlight the difficulty of Misbah’s role. “I have already had the honour of captaining Pakistan several times,” he said.
“Trust me, it is no bed of roses, and all of us who have captained Pakistan, Misbah included, are fully aware of it. We get nothing more out of it than pride; seldom do we get bouquets, and more often brickbats. I have said this before, and I reiterate, that I shall continue to serve Pakistan cricket and fully support Misbah to the best of my ability.”
In hot water
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan had claimed that Afridi has come under the scanner for his ‘irresponsible statements’ after the third ODI against Australia.
Afridi, who was asked to lead the team for the final match as current captain Misbahul Haq decided to sit out the dead rubber, had said that whoever will be captain for the 2015 World Cup – either him or Misbah – should be told beforehand that they will be given the responsibility. The comments did not go down well with the PCB and the team management, who have appointed Misbah as captain until the World Cup.
Misbah’s decision to drop himself from the final match sparked speculation regarding the captaincy spot and Afridi’s statements only served to add fuel to the fire. “Afridi was irresponsible in his press conference and we’re looking closely at whether he has breached the code of conduct or not,” said Shaharyar at a press conference in Lahore.
“I regret his words because there is a feeling among the public that there is some kind of conspiracy afoot. People are talking about making Afridi the captain, but now the selectors will have to decide whether he even deserves a place in the team or not.”
The chairman added that though the all-rounder’s performances with the ball have improved, his form with the bat has been poor of late.
Misbah’s our man
Shaharyar reiterated that as far as the PCB is concerned, Misbah is the man who will be leading the line come the World Cup, and added that he has informed all relevant officials about it in no uncertain terms. "I have told everyone, from Misbah to head coach Waqar Younis to chief selector and manager Moin Khan, that Misbah will lead Pakistan in the World Cup," said the PCB chief.
However, Shaharyar added that even though the PCB has given its full backing to under-fire Misbah, the player himself does not want to be a burden on the Pakistan team and has clearly said that if he fails to get his form back in time for the World Cup, he will withdraw himself.
“It was Misbah’s decision to sit out due to a loss of form and I’ve talked to him in detail about it,” said Shaharyar. “Misbah has said that if he fails to get his form back, then he’ll make himself unavailable for selection. We’ve got a contingency plan in case he decides against playing, but I won’t reveal the name of the player who will be considered for the captain’s post.”
‘Ajmal will be sent for informal testing initially’
Shaharyar revealed that he has spoken to suspended Saeed Ajmal and former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who is helping Ajmal remodel his action, and both feel that there is substantial improvement.
“Both Ajmal and Saqlain have said that they are now ready to get Ajmal tested in high speed cameras as well,” he said. “We’ll send Ajmal informally for testing in one of the three recognised labs in Cardiff, Brisbane or Chennai. After getting the results from there, we’ll go formally to the ICC for a review of his action, and hopefully he would have reduced the bend in his arm till then.”
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Lack of education. Most of Pakistani players do not have proper education.
This is the character of Afridi which speaks for it self.
Finally back to his aukaat. Considering Afridi performance, his participation in world cup team should not be guaranteed until her performs.
Well played Shahid bhai whatay 180 degrees U-turn after Shaharyar Khan's bouncer to him. Ap tu dar gaye Shahid bhai....
Misbah is the best choice for captaincy, period. That spoiled brat Afridi still has childish behaviour. Allah knows better when he is going to learn from his mistakes while batting or in becoming sensible , levelheaded person. This time this dumbo has pushed the limits, make him eat his words along with Moin Khan, the latter probably instigating the fool into thinking about capitaincy.
Misbah was appointed captain for the World Cup without a doubt. Why would Afridi then go out and discuss his abilities as captain and compare them with Misbah? Afridi also demanded and created confusion by the possibility of him being the captain. Misbah took time off from one match and gave Afridi a chance to perform which he sadly failed! Afridi has been talking about his and Pakistanis being aggressive but his scoring rate has been less than Misbah in these matches. In today's world we need a cool, educated and balanced captain who let their game do the talking not making statements like politicians and then go back on his words. These last two statements of Afridi have backfired on him and were unwarranted. Any other country would have fired such player in the first instance of playing politics. Pakistan can have new spinners and much better fielders than Afridi as new players.