Flamboyant allrounder and former captain, Shahid Afridi believes that Pakistan cricket think-tank has erred by having too many expectations from out of favor batsmen, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. "I don't know but it was wrong to expect them to be like Virat Kohli or Ab de Villiers and perform like them," Afridi said on Geo News channel on Monday. Shehzad and Umar considered to be two of the country's best young batting talent have been axed for the tour to England on disciplinary grounds and were not called for the training and skills camps set up by the cricket board. PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan made it clear that it was the decision of the new selection committee to sideline the two youngsters. Afridi said there was no doubt that Shehzad and Umar needed to work hard on their cricket and approach. "I also agree there should be no compromise on discipline. But I think it is best if we stop expecting too much from them and just let them be and let them play the way they do. With more experience I am sure they will be much better," he added.
Pakistan team has recently lost the three-Test series against Australia 0-3, before going down 1-4 in the five-match T20 series against New Zealand.
Australia make solid start to Boxing Day Test in rainy Melbourne
'Today, I, Shahid Afridi, seek forgiveness from the people of Pakistan for not living upto the expectations.'
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has wished India on its 70st Independence Day and called for peace, tolerance and love between the two nations as there was "no way to change neighbours".
Grant Elliot's all-round performance eclipsed Shahid Afridi's 29-ball blitz to secure New Zealand a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first One Day International in Wellington on Saturday.
India all-rounder Washington Sundar has been nominated for the ICC 'Player of the month' award for July alongside England's Gus Atkinson and Charlie Cassell of Scotland.
Shahid Afridi was sacked as One-Day International (ODI) skipper because he repeatedly revealed the team's "internal matters" to the media, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have said.
Pakistan's flamboyant former captain and Twenty20 hot property Shahid Afridi has shunned the dollars for national duty by opting out of the Bangladesh Premier League where he was the costliest player after fetching a price tag of USD 700,000 in the auction.
Vanquished captain Shahid Afridi expects a mature reaction from fans in Pakistan when their team returns after going down to arch-rivals India in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi does not seem to be in favour of tainted cricketer Salman Butt making a comeback to the national team. A source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told PTI that Butt, who completed a five-year ban for spot-fixing last September, was in contention for an immediate comeback to international cricket but Afridi showed his reluctance. "Butt met with chief selector Haroon Rasheed last night in Lahore. The situation is that members of the Pakistan team have also indicated they have no problems with Butt joining the team but Afridi is not in favour of his inclusion," the source said. The source also said that the selectors were considering opener Butt for the World T20 after the team's dismal batting performance in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. "The selectors are desperate to find a solution to the opening problem in the Pakistan team and will also certainly recall experienced opener Ahmed Shehzad. Salman Butt is also under consideration," the source said.
The chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt has made it clear that the former Pakistan One-day skipper Shahid Afridi is no longer a captaincy material for the PCB.
Pakistan's veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi has admitted that he would like to eclipse the record set by the swashbuckling South African skipper AB de Villiers, who hit the fastest One-Day International century.
Shaan Masood also didn't agree that the last two Tests were the darkest days of Pakistan cricket over three decades.
The selectors on Wednesday recalled Shahid Afridi in the Pakistan squad for the One-day series against Sri Lanka, hours after the former captain had a meeting with the new PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf.
Shahid Afridi believes Pakistan can go to India and play a series but only after the country's Cricket Board (PCB) gets written guarantees from its Indian conterpart (BCCI).
Shahid Afridi's scintillating all-round display secured Pakistan a series-clinching 26-run victory against Sri Lanka in a low-scoring fourth One-day International on Sunday.
Legends of T20 World Cup: Leading Wicket-takers, six-hitters and keepers with most dismissals
The Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan was called off due to persistent rain in Pallekele on Saturday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the opening Test played between Australia and Pakistan in Perth on Saturday.
After creating a furore by stating that Indians are not "large-hearted", Pakistan's ODI cricket captain Shahid Afridi did a volte-face, claiming that he was misunderstood and quoted out of context.
Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has stirred controversy again by saying that he did not find any of the Indian cricketers having large or clean hearts.
Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson hit fifties as New Zealand thrashed Pakistan by 46 runs in the first T20 International.
Scathing in its criticism after Pakistan's loss to India in a World Twenty20 match, the media here came down heavily on national coach Waqar Younis and skipper Shahid Afridi for their "faulty gameplan" and team selection. In a low-scoring rain-curtailed 18-over-a-side showdown t the hallowed Eden Gardens last night, India first restricted Pakistan to 118 for five and then overhauled the target in 15.5 overs on a turning track. With a moisture-laden pitch on offer following rains, Pakistan went by their strength and included four seamers in the playing eleven, leaving out left-arm spinner Imad Wasim. But the plan backfired as, to the surprise of all and sundry, the wicket turned from the first over itself. In a sarcastic article, the 'Express Tribune' newspaper criticised the Pakistan team's tactics and questioned the logic behind including four seamers on a turning wicket.
The selectors have brought in leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, pacer Mohammad Sami and batsman Faisal Iqbal for the three-Test series against India starting on November 22.
Pakistan's iconic former captain Imran Khan is not sure whether Shahid Afridi has the ability to pull through a team in shambles but conceded that if there is anyone capable of achieving something extraordinary, it is the swashbuckling current skipper.
Former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has claimed that his relationship with former skipper Shahid Afridi has been spoiled after his scathing report on the country's dismal performance in the recently-concluded World T20 was leaked. "I have been very clear that report was not for the media, but for the cricket board. Unfortunately, the report was leaked and my relationship with Afridi has been spoilt," Younis was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. Waqar and Afridi's decision to step down from their respective position came days after their side's early exit from the T20 format's pinnacle event. Pakistan were crashed out of the prestigious tournament after suffering three successive defeats against arch-rivals India, New Zealand and Australia in the group stages. Talking about Afridi's drawbacks, the 44-year-old said that the main problem with the all-rounder was his inability to concentrate on a particular thing for long span of time. "Afridi's drawbacks as a captain are for everyone to see. He has got a temperament issue. He cannot sit for too long to highlight things, or absorb things and then go and implement them. I've said this in my report," said Younis.
Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Thursday announced that he will retire from international cricket after the World T20 to be held in India next year.
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi came under fire for his sudden decision to retire from Test cricket after the England debacle with some former players questioning his commitment to the team.
Pakistan's World Twenty20 loss to India could spell the end of Shahid Afridi's rein as captain with the country's Cricket Board planning to sack him irrespective of the team's performance in the remainder of the tournament. "There is clear discontent in the Board about Afridi and his performances and captaincy and even if he decides against retiring after the World T20, the board will not retain him as captain any longer and even his days as a player are ending now," a Pakistan Cricket Board source said. "The Board is also privately not happy with the media statements of Afridi and believe it is time to move on," he said. Sources told PTI that PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has indicated even the current selection committee could be disbanded after the World T20. "No matter whether Pakistan reaches the semi-finals or even wins the title the selection committee headed by Haroon Rasheed is on its way out," one source confided. He said the inquiry committee formed by the board to probe into the performance of the team in the Asia Cup had already held three meetings and expressed discontent with the performance of the selectors and management.
Opener Nasir Jamshed smashed a fluent 74 to help Pakistan pull off an unconvincing five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international on Thursday. Chasing 239 for victory, flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi came to Pakistan's rescue with a powerful 43 not out from 27 balls after Zimbabwe had reduced the hosts to 178 for five in the 38th over.
Critical of Shoaib Akhtar for announcing his retirement in the middle of the World Cup, Pakistan ODI captain Shahid Afridi today claimed the pacer did not consult the team before making his decision public.
Pakistan's sacked captain Shahid Afridi is not likely not attend the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disciplinary hearing on charges of violating the code of conduct, his lawyer said on Monday.
India steamrollered Pakistan by seven wickets in a lopsided blockbuster match at a heaving Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday to maintain their unblemished 50-overs World Cup record against their arch-rivals.
Pakistan's Test captain Misbah-ul Haq feels that Shahid Afridi's greatest quality has been to bring unity in the team which has always been in the news for all wrong reasons.
It will be hard to catch up with Afridi now! After another incredible bowling performance on Wednesday at Mirpur (9.3-1-30-4), Afridi is now over 200 'runs' clear of Yuvraj Singh in the MVPI list.
Images from the World Cup match between Pakistan and Canada played in Colombo on Thursday.
The Pakistan all-rounder was seen pushing his bat at a spectator who said something to him on his way back to the pavilion after being dismissed.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi does not think fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is ready for a comeback to Test cricket.
Pakistan's ODI and Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi says he has no intention of going back on his 'emotional' decision to retire from Test cricket, as he has lost the desire to play the longer format of the game. 'I have no real desire to play Test cricket and the reason I lost this desire was because I was not selected consistently for Test matches,' Afridi said.
