Afridi-Miandad tiff: ‘Forgive and forget for Pakistan’s sake’

Former cricketers urge duo to settle altercation in nation’s best interests

KARACHI: As Shahid Afridi gears up to take legal action against Javed Miandad over match-fixing allegations, former cricketers have urged the two cricketing greats to end their altercation as the outcome would not be beneficial for Pakistan cricket.

“This fight is damaging the country’s reputation and it should be over soon. I request both of them to forgive and forget for Pakistan’s sake,” former Test cricketer Iqbal Qasim told The Express Tribune.

The whole issue began when a journalist, at a book launching ceremony on Sunday, sought an answer from Afridi quoting Miandad as saying that the former T20 captain wanted a farewell match ‘only for the money’.

Afridi replied by saying that ‘money has always been Miandad’s issue’ and that ‘that is the difference between him and Imran Khan’.

Miandad, in response, accused Afridi of match-fixing. “I challenge Afridi to swear upon his daughter and say that he didn’t sell Pakistan’s matches,” Miandad was quoted as saying by various television channels on Monday.

In an effort to downplay the spat, Miandad ‘forgave’ Afridi for calling him a money-grubber but that did not solve the issue as Afridi sought an explanation for match-fixing allegations the legendary batsman had levelled on him, even threatening to go to court if the accusations were not withdrawn.



“Javed Bhae has pardoned me? Thanks. But has he withdrawn his allegations, what has he got to say to that?” Afridi tweeted.

“Nothing matters more to me than playing for my country with pride, no one can accuse me of selling my country. Else, I’ll have to seek answer and justice to clear my reputation in court,” he further tweeted.

And Qasim, who was present at the same book launching ceremony where the feud began, said the issue has been blown out of proportion unnecessarily.



“It was an unnecessary altercation. Miandad took a great initiative by forgiving Afridi but now he should also retract his allegation,” said Qasim. “It is a serious allegation and Afridi now needs to clear his name.”

He further added, “The issue has damaged the reputation of the country and the world is making fun of us.”

Meanwhile, legendary pacer Wasim Akram also urged the duo to end their dispute, saying that the verbal assaults between the two should end and ‘there was a need of quick resolution by appropriate mediation instead of an unwanted chaos’.

Former captain Mohammad Yousuf and fast-bowling great Shoaib Akhtar are also among the big names of the game asking the two to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2016.

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