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Shahid Afridi quits international cricket

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has retired from all forms of international cricket, according to reports in his homeland.

After weeks of growing tension and speculation Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s recently axed one-day captain, has announced his retirement from the international game.

This is not Shahid Afridi's first retirement from the game, though it is the first time he has quit the shorter formats © Associated Press

It is, however, a “conditional” retirement in protest against the way he has been “humiliated” by the PCB, a temporary self-imposed exile more than a permanent retirement. Afridi said he was ready to reverse his decision if and when a new board came into power.

“There is nothing bigger than a man’s respect, and the way the board has treated me, there is a limit to everything,” an emotional, angry Afridi told Geo TVfrom London, where he is currently preparing for a Twenty20 stint with Hampshire. “I will not play under this board. If a different board comes in, I will definitely return but I cannot play under this board. When you have been humiliated like this, by dishonourable people, what is the point in playing on?

“The way I’ve been treated… the future doesn’t look too good. I can’t play under a board that doesn’t respect its players. Because of this, under protest, this is a conditional retirement.”

Afridi, a Pathan who has lived in Karachi all his life, also hit out at “a Lahore lobby that has been filling the chairman’s ears against me,” reviving an issue of regionalism that has been festering for some time now, and shows few signs of stopping; in recent weeks, Karachi officials have protested loudly against the PCB for not selecting players from the city.

The decision caps – for now – a saga that began last December effectively, when the board first began to hesitate in appointing Afridi captain. He was made leader for the New Zealand ODI series and then, only two weeks before the tournament began was he made captain for the World Cup. The impermanent nature of his appointments was one of the reasons for Afridi’s unhappiness.

“I wasn’t told anything when I was made captain, I wasn’t given a tenure, I wasn’t told what my squad would be, nothing,” Afridi said. “I took a broken team along with me. When I took over the Pakistan team was in the middle of the spot-fixing crisis. Then the Zulqarnain Haider case happened but my side fought both against England and South Africa in the ODI series. Then we beat New Zealand, we got to the semis of the World Cup and beat West Indies there as well. Maybe I have become a thorn in their throats. It’s better that I step aside for now as I have respect for myself.”

But the tipping point came upon Afridi’s arrival back from the Caribbean, growing differences between him and coach Waqar Younis over matters of selection being another concern. Then, he told reporters, “Although the differences in team management are not such which could not be solved, I feel everyone should do his job and need not interfere in other’s work”.

That led to the board issuing him a show-cause notice to explain his remarks, unhappy with his penchant for public straight-talking and his cosy relationship with the media; indeed it is understood a major concern of the board was their belief that Afridi was leaking news to the media. Incidentally, Afridi didn’t touch on the selection issue at all when announcing his decision, though he did say that as captain, if he “didn’t speak to the media, who else in the team would?”

Soon after his return, the board removed him from the ODI captaincy he picked up in June 2010, not giving any official reason for the removal. “We had very solid reasons to remove Afridi and I will reveal them when the time is right,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said recently. “We haven’t taken this action without any reasons.”

That prompted Afridi to pull out of the two ODIs against Ireland; speculation was that he was unhappy over his ouster, though he said he had decided to miss the series due to his father’s ill-health. It was around this time that stories began to appear that he may retire soon.

Afridi is not new to retirement. He first announced a temporary sabbatical from Test cricket in April 2006, in a bid to concentrate only on ODIs in the lead-up to the 2007 World Cup. He later returned to the side, and even led Pakistan’s Test side at the start of their tumultuous tour of England last summer. He, however, once again retired from the longest format, as soon as Pakistan lost the first Test against Australia at Lord’s.

How long the current impasse lasts is difficult to ascertain. Afridi, until the World Cup, was Pakistan’s most effective and successful limited-overs bowler of the last three years. And his public popularity – he remains the most sought-after autograph in Pakistan as well as the only current player brands will invest in – ensures that the pressure on the PCB, and in particular the chairman, will be immense.

In any case, Butt’s tenure has been pockmarked by constant instability – nine captaincy changes in Tests and ODIs, five different selection heads and three coaches – and regular spats with senior players: Mohammad Yousuf announced a brief retirement last year and Younis Khan wasn’t chosen for almost a year after the pair were handed open-ended bans last year. Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have also faced one-year bans (eventually overturned), while after the World Cup, Butt had a dig at Abdul Razzaq as well, saying that he should retire now.

Afridi will play in the Friends Provident t20 for Hampshire, and he will also be available for the inaugural edition of the Sri Lankan Premier League, while continuing to participate in domestic cricket in Pakistan as well.

Today News

Chennai Super Kings crowned IPL champions!


CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs to become Indian Premier League champions for the second time in a row at the MA Chidambaram stadium here on Saturday.
Bangalore could make only 147 runs in reply of Chennai’s huge total of 205 runs. Earlier a record 159-run p artnership between openers Murali Vijay (95) and Michael Hussey (63) powered the Chennai Super Kings to 205 for five in 20 overs against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
It was the highest partnership for the Super Kings for any wicket in the IPL, but the Super Kings were reined in at the finish with left-arm seamer Sreenath Aravind and off-spinner Chris Gayle picking up two wickets apiece in one over.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Super Kings openers put the Royal Challengers attack to the sword with some brilliant batting. Vijay, pointed out as the weak link in the Chennai line-up after an indifferent run with the bat in the tournament, decided to make amends at the big stage, unleashing six sixes and four fours in his blazing knock.
Hussey was equally aggressive, hitting three sixes and as many boundaries in his 45-ball innings before holing out to Abhimanyu Mithun near the boundary ropes off left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad.

Today News

Pak bowl out Ireland for 96 in 1st ODI


BELFAST: Pakistan's Junaid Khan ensured Ireland came back down to earth after their World Cup exploits as the hosts were bowled out for just 96 in the first one-day international here Saturday.

Left-arm paceman Junaid, in only his fifth match at this level, made light of the cold and blustery conditions at Stormont to take four wickets for 12 runs in five overs before off-spinner Saeed Ajmal polished off the tail with three for seven in three.

Ireland, who at the World Cup defeated old rivals England in Bangalore, were dismissed in a mere 20 overs.

Rain, which had reduced what should have been a 50 overs per side contest to 38 before a ball had been bowled, returned to cut the match to 36.

At the interruption, Ireland were in trouble at 76 for six and it would have been even worse but for a whirlwind 39 from 22 balls by Paul Stirling.

The Middlesex opener hit seven fours and a six, including 19 off Tanvir Ahmed which took him out of the attack.

But when he was out, skying Junaid into the covers in the sixth over, his team-mates folded with virtually no resistance.

Ireland captain William Porterfield gave up his opening slot to Ed Joyce but it suited neither of the county cricketers as both were caught behind for an aggregate of five runs.

Apart from Stirling, only Gary Wilson (11) and Kevin O'Brien (15), the hero against England with the fastest-ever World Cup century, reached double figures.

Such was Pakistan's dominance, even Younis Khan was given a rare bowl by his new one-day captaiin, Misbah-ul-Haq.

He got among the wickets when he had John Mooney caught in the gully but at that stage Pakistan were well on their way to taking a decisive lead in this two-match series.

The Duckworth/Lewis method for rain-affected matches helped their cause even more, setting Pakistan a revised victory target of 95 in 36 overs.

Today News

Pakistan beat Ireland to win first ODI

BELFAST, United Kingdom: Pakistan beat Ireland by seven wickets to win the first one-day international at Stormont here on Saturday and so take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Brief scores Ireland: 96, 36 overs (Junaid Khan 4-12, Saeed Ajmal 3-7) Pakistan: 97-3, 27.3 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 52; A Cusack 3-12)

Today News

Pakistan hammer Ireland in first ODI

BELFAST: Ireland’s hopes of convincing the International Cricket Council they are deserving of a World Cup place were undermined by a thumping seven-wicket defeat to Pakistan in a rain-affected first One-day International here on Saturday.
Ireland were bowled out for just 96, with young left-armer Junaid Khan claiming career-best figures of four for 12, before the tourists eased past the total with 51 balls to spare.
The defeat was as one-sided as it was untimely for the Irish just a month before an ICC chief executive committee is due to discuss the possibility of overturning a decision to omit the associate countries from the next World Cup in 2015.
That decision was met with widespread condemnation in April after Ireland had proved themselves worthy of cricket’s top table at this year’s World Cup when they most memorably beat England.
Ireland could, however, claim they lost an important toss after 21-year-old Junaid, who had only taken three wickets in his young international career before today, revelled on a Stormont wicket that offered the seamers plenty of assistance after rain had delayed the start by just over three hours.
The home batsmen hardly helped their own cause, though, as they surprisingly opted to play their shots despite the conditions.
That strategy initially paid dividends when nuggety opener Paul Stirling thrashed 39 from 22 balls, but when he became Junaid’s first victim the wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter.
Junaid next skittled Alex Cusack’s stumps before he had scored, while Umar Gul found skipper William Porterfield’s edge.
Ireland’s star man at the World Cup Kevin O’Brien showed signs he was intent on following Stirling’s lead with a couple of muscled strikes, but his stumps were also sent cartwheeling by Junaid before he found full flow.
And when Khan then located Andrew White’s edge next ball Ireland found themselves deep in trouble at 66 for six before the rain arrived again.
That offered the hosts a 20-minute reprieve, but with their top order having already succumbed in the hour beforehand, the wickets continued to fall and Saeed Ajmal cleaned up the tail to finish with three for seven as Ireland last only 20 of the rain-reduced 36 overs.
Pakistan’s openers Taufeeq Umar and Hafeez took a cautious approach to the chase, which straddled the lunch break after Ireland’s early demise.
The pair took until the 15th over to bring up the 50 with their only moment of concern before when Taufeeq edged Trent Johnston to Stirling at first slip, only for a no-ball to be called.
Ireland did finally get a breakthrough, albeit with just 22 required, when Taufeeq again offered a low chance to Stirling at slip off Cusack to depart for a laboured 23 from 62 balls.
Hafeez brought up his half-century soon after, with his seventh four, but fell next ball bowled by Cusack who then also picked up Asad Shafiq to finish with three for 13.
That left it to skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and veteran Younis Khan to guide the tourists home with plenty of time to spare.
Score board
Pakistan won toss
Ireland
E C Joyce c M Salman b Tanvir 1
P R Stirling c M Hafeez b Junaid 39
*W T S Porterfield c M Salman b U Gul 4
A R Cusack b Junaid 5
†G C Wilson c M Salman b S Ajmal 11
K J O’Brien b Junaid 15
A R White c M Salman b Junaid 0
J F Mooney c Junaid b Younis 7
D T Johnston c Misbah b S Ajmal 6
N G Jones not out 3
W B Rankin b S Ajmal 0
Extras (w 4, nb 1) 5
Total (all out; 20 overs) 96
Fall: 1-7, 2-44, 3-49, 4-51, 5-66, 6-66, 7-84, 8-91, 9-95, 10-95
Bowling: U Gul 5-1-29-1; Tanvir 4-0-38-1 (1nb); Junaid 5-1-12-4 (1w); Younis 3-0-10-1 (1w); S Ajmal 3-1-6-3 (1w)
Pakistan
Mohammad Hafeez b Cusack 52
Taufeeq Umar c Stirling b Cusack 23
Asad Shafiq c Wilson b Cusack 4
Younis Khan not out 6
*Misbah-ul-Haq not out 4
Extras (lb 1, w 6, nb 1) 8
Total (3 wickets; 27.3 overs) 97
Did not bat: Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, †Mohammad Salman
Fall: 1-73, 2-82, 3-92
Bowling: Rankin 5-0-18-0; Johnston 6-1-13-0 (1nb, 1w); Mooney 4-0-19-0; K O’Brien 3-0-12-0 (1w); Cusack 5-2-13-3; Jones 4.3-0-22-0 (2w)
Result: Pakistan won by 7 wickets (D/L method)
Man of the Match: Junaid Khan (Pakistan)
Series: Pakistan led the 2-match series 1-0

Cricket World Cup: Was Pakistan vs India Semi-Final FIXED?

ARACHI: Corruption has overshadowed the biggest crime in sports, which is doping, especially in cricket. Things have been made so scientifically orchestrated that even if one sees them happening one can’t make a final call whether it was all scripted or natural.

Misbah-ul-Haq

A number of cricket matches in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 have been put under the doubts of match-fixing by world media quoting their sources but the latest incident was the biggest match of the tournament, i.e. Pakistan vs India in Semi-Final at Mohali.

It has already been reported by some quarters of Pakistani media and a broader Indian as well as global media that they have found some powerful hints of fixing in the second Semi-Final.

A huge media group in Pakistan quoted its sources in the government as saying that Rs40 billion were shifted from Pakistan to India under the garb of betting money, through illegal banks made specifically for such transfers.

Younus Khan drops a sitter and still smiling!

As many as 24 bookies collected the money (Rs40 billion, out of which Rs29 billion were collected from Karachi only) from at least 31 areas of the Capital city of Islamabad and then sent it to India through some cricketers, politicians, and some government officials.

Pakistan’s rate before the ICC Cricket World Cup was as up as over Rs12 which went down to somewhere around Rs4 before the Semi-Final match against India where India’s rate was Rs0.60. It has also been calculated by some of the biggest media groups that in case Pakistan won the Mohali battle, 90 percent of the bookies would have defaulted across the world, especially in United Arab Emirates.

A bookie in India has claimed that there was a group in Pakistan cricket team who kept on doing spot and fancy fixing during the tournament, especially in the matches against Sri Lanka and Canada.

Viru punishes Gul

He further stated that skipper Shahid Khan Afridi proved helpless against the strong group and couldn’t even show his grief and frustration in front of the crowd or media, rather he was found crying after losing to India in his dressing room. A dejected look on his face during the match tells the whole story, he added.

He went on to say that he knew that India will score just over or around 260 runs, will lose three or four wickets at around 25 overs, especially they will lose two wickets in a quick succession. He added that Pakistan will cruise to 100 runs for not much loss then will lose their way and would be 150 for about 5 wickets loss and then will lose by around 20 runs.

Shahid Afridi couldn't believe what he was watching

Even the runaway wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider, who fled to UK from UAE after he claimed to have been threatened by bookies, told media, that a group of players including Akmal brothers had fixed the semi-final. “I am not surprised by the defeat because they are groups operating in the team and they don’t allow any player to settle down unless he succumbs to them. The same thing happened to me. No one is allowed to settle into the team unless they are supported by a group and that is what happened to me. Players are not allowed to settle into the team if they don’t go along with a group. That is the reason why Kamran is still in the team despite poor performances. No other keeper would be retained in the team if he dropped the number of catches Kamran has dropped”.

As a matter of fact, these facts were shared before and during the semi-final match by some other people on their facebook pages, like these couple of images being showed here.

Facebook users, named Vidur Naik and Kalpit Babel, shared on their profile statuses, “Bookie update..India will bat first score over 260, 3 wickets fall within the first 15 overs, pak will cruise to 100, then lose 2 quick wickets, at 150 they will be 5 down and crumble and lose by a margin of over 20 runs”.

Kamran Akmal keeps doing what he knows the best, dropping catches.

If we take a look at the scorecard of Pakistan in the said match, Pakistan were 100 for two in just about 25 overs and then lost Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan in the space of three runs and 11 balls. As claimed by the bookie, Pakistan lost their fifth wicket for 142 runs and their sixth at 150 runs. Moreover, at one stage, Pakistan had lost seven wickets for 184 runs, still 77 runs away from the victory and only three batsmen, in fact a batsman and two bowlers left at the crease. Misbah-ul-Haq who was struggling to steer ball into the gaps and was looking totally out of touch suddenly found the form of his lifetime and started taking long route hitting fours and sixes like it was a child’s play. It’s quite hard to believe that on a pitch where Misbah showed how to hit long shots, he along with Younus Khan played TEN maiden overs?

Let me take you back to the final match of the 1999 World Cup where Pakistani opener Saeed Anwar, after pounding leading Aussie bowlers, wanted to change his bat. And the very next ball which he faced after changing the bat, he was bowled.

Can you recall same type of thing in the Mohali clash? If not, then take a look at the highlights package of Pakistan’s innings and watch Umar Akmal’s dismissal. He was looking in prime touch, hitting 24 runs from three overs before the ball was changed and he asked for changing his gloves, the twelfth man came and he showed his discontent over the pair of gloves Ahmad Shehzad brought for him, and the very next ball, he was clean-bowled by Harbhajan Singh’s quicker delivery. Saeed Anwar was questioned and punished by a judicial commission probing match fixing and it would be interesting to see if the incumbent government does take action on this or not.

Afridi tries to bring Gul back on game plan, but in vain.

Earlier in the match, four catches of Sachin Tendulkar were dropped by none other than Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Younus Khan, and once again Misbah-ul-Haq.

Umar Gul, who had been Pakistan’s best fast bowler in the competition, bowled like he was bowling for the first time in an international match as his skipper set him a packed offside field and what he bowled was short-of-length deliveries on Virender Sehwag’s legs going for 21 runs including five boundaries and a No-Ball.

For icing on the cake, please check this piece of commentary of Gul’s second over of the innings by Cricinfo.

2.1: Umar Gul to Sehwag, FOUR, a half-volley on leg stump dismissed by Sehwag with a crisp flick off his pads. He hit that in the air but there was no fielder anywhere near midwicket

2.2: Umar Gul to Sehwag, FOUR, too straight again, not as full, but Sehwag stays in his crease and whips the ball off his pads through midwicket. Still no fielder there.

Now there’s a midwicket …

2.3: Umar Gul to Sehwag, no run, short of a length around the hips, Sehwag tucks the ball off his body towards the man at square leg

2.4: Umar Gul to Sehwag, FOUR, too straight again and Sehwag flicks, this time past the fielder at square leg and the ball races across his fast outfield towards the boundary before the fielder at long leg can get to it

There’s a deep square leg now. Field changes galore.

2.5: Umar Gul to Sehwag, FOUR, that’s the fourth of the over. A slower ball outside off stump. The length was short and there was width. Sehwag waited for it and cut the ball hard through point

2.6: Umar Gul to Sehwag, (no ball) FOUR, the fifth! And it’s a front-foot no-ball as well. Too full outside off and Sehwag drills the ball off the front foot through extra cover. Gul is rattled. Sehwag on the charge …

Free hit coming up …

2.6: Umar Gul to Sehwag, no run, Sehwag hits on the back foot and tries to heave the short of a length ball over the leg side, he mis-hits in into his pad. This game has burst into life in this over. Pakistan need to control the damage.

Umar Akmal cleaned up after changing his gloves!

The momentum shifted immediately towards India after that over and the drama went as planned till a flurry of wickets in the middle overs gave Pakistan the upper hand. However, strange fielding positions and changes in bowling let India move on from 205/6 to 260/9 when only Suresh Raina was at the crease and no real batsman was there to accompany him.

Something of same sort happened in the match against Sri Lanka as well where their openers chasing Pakistan’s target of 278 runs cruised to 76 for no loss where Umar Gul bowled same sort of deliveries which he bowled to Mr. Sehwag. Pakistan kept dropping catches amongst them the easiest of dollies but it was Afridi’s stupendous form with the ball which got them the victory, otherwise the match was done and dusted by a group of players, looked quite evident in the field. Do you guys remember, the state Sri Lankan television channel had accused Mahela Jayawardene of fixing the match? Although, the claim was later taken back but smoke comes out only where there is fire.

Whether the semi-final was fixed or not, we leave the decision on our readers. The proofs are limitless and smart lawyers can downplay them as well, so we are not making any claim that it was fixed but actually we have presented things in front of our readers how they were orchestrated in a trend.

Should the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) be proactive this time or once again it should wait for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take things under its control, this is a big question.

After coming back to Pakistan this morning, skipper Shahid Afridi clearly asked the PCB to get rid of the senior players. He said senior players, not some senior players, which means a lot. Was he trying to advise PCB, please get rid of fixers? Time will tell us only as it told us in the case of Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, and Salman Butt, but the nation has accepted the defeat as they were always ready to accept it at any stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 knowing very well who are playing in the team.

We also must not forget that initially names of five players were revealed in the illustrated spot fixing scandal of last August and our readers are very well aware of the name of those two players who got benefit of the doubt at that time.

It’s time once again to get Pakistan cricket rid of these clouds of fixing and a strong policy should be devised to put a lid on this scandal once and for all