Shahid Afridi's captaincy came in for criticism from current and former players after Pakistan squandered a chance to enter their third successive Twenty20 World Cup final by losing a last-over thriller to Australia.
With just the final to go, Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji figure out the World Cup's 50 most valuable players.
Pakistan's flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi celebrated his 50th appearance in Twenty20 internationals with a half century to lead his side to a 23-run victory over Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria on Saturday accused Shahid Afridi of treating him unfairly all through his career and blamed him for a rather short limited overs career. Kaneria, only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan after his maternal uncle Anil Dalpat, took 261 wickets in 61 Tests at an average of 34.79. However, he only played 18 ODIs between 2000 and 2010.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has warned sacked ODI captain Shahid Afridi to either appear before the disciplinary committee on Wednesday or be prepared for a unilateral decision against him by the panel.
'I was merely trying to give a positive message to the rest of the world that we enjoy a lot when we play in India.'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for his "blood would flow in rivers" remark and called former cricketer Shahid Afridi a "joker" for his comment on the Pahalgam terror attack. Owaisi also supported India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and called for Pakistan to be placed on the FATF grey list. He also advocated for cyber attacks against Pakistan.
When asked if Pakistan team of the present has lost the formidable look it had in '80s and '90s and even early 2000s, the veteran of 398 ODIs, 99 T20Is and 27 Tests said that eras can't be simply compared.
Pakistan's flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi said he would be aiming to better Brendon McCullum's awe-inspiring 73-ball 158 when he makes his debut for Hyderabad Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. Afridi, who has since 1997 held on to the record for the fastest one-day hundred from just 37 balls, said he is itching to emulate or surpass McCullum's innings.
Inzamam has been advised to rest for three days after he required three stitches to a finger injured while fielding in the third one-day international on Sunday while Yousuf's wife is ill.
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.
Sri Lanka doused some late Shahid Afridi fireworks to produce an electrifying 25-run victory over Pakistan in the second One-Day International at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has said he is ready to retire from international cricket the day he feels he is a burden on the team.
India has been lucky to have beaten Pakistan in all the ICC events, said all-rounder Shahid Afridi, oozing confidence that his team would buck the trend this time by getting the better of their traditional rivals in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Pakistan have recalled former captain Shahid Afridi for a one-day series in West Indies but senior players Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal have been dropped for poor displays in last month's Champions Trophy.
Pakistan vice-captain Shahid Afridi has denied reports of quitting the game in case he fails to perform in the forthcoming Champions Trophy event, scheduled to commence from the September 23.
Rana-Naveed-ul Hasan was also left out as the selectors opted to go in for specialist bowlers in Kaneria and Umar Gul and middle-order batsmen Misbah-ul Haq and Asim Kamal.
Pakistan's former cricket captain Shoaib Malik was dropped from the limited overs squad for the series against England on Tuesday.
Despite picking 14 wickets in the World Cup thus far, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi is modesty personified by crediting bowling conditions for his success, writes Bikash Mohapatra.
Pakistan beat South Africa by 7 runs to reach the final of the World Twenty20, that will take place at Lord's on Sunday.
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.
Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi believes the national team is balanced enough to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in the West Indies, despite the absence of their most experienced fast bowler, Umar Gul.
Captain Ricky Ponting, his deputy Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Gillespie and Cameron White are the Australians who have joined the IPL.
Shahid Afridi struck with the ball once again to help Pakistan score what was eventually a comprehensive win over Canada in the World Cup match at the Premadasa stadium on Thursday.
An ardent cricket fan told me he was 118,000th in the queue, and within minutes, he received the disappointing news that his hopes of securing a ticket had vanished with all tickets sold out.
India went down to Pakistan by a narrow one-wicket margin in the sixth match of the Asia Cup match. A look at the key moments.
Pakistan defeated Kenya comfortably in their first match of the World Cup but skipper Shahid Afridi said his side will have to play with lot more energy if they desire to beat mighty Sri Lanka in front of their home crowd on Saturday.
Pakistan's flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi has ruled out any chance of making a comeback to ODIs.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf is baffled by team mate Shahid Afridi's ball tampering act in the fifth and final One-Day International against Australia in Perth. Afridi, who led Pakistan in the final one-dayer, was seen biting the ball and was later banned by the match referee for two Twenty20 matches on pleading guilty and apologising for his action.
Exciting Irish batsman Eoin Morgan said tracking Tuesday's Indian Premier League auction was a "nerve-racking" experience and he had given up all hopes when he saw Shahid Afridi going unsold.
The selectors also named two newcomers in Rana Namid-ul Hasan and Ifthkar Rao, a tearaway young speedster.
Afridi has said that previous defeats in the cricket World Cup against India will not matter.
Pakistan once again rose to the occasion in style when they outplayed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to win the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's in London, on Sunday.
Images from the Woorld Cup match between Pakistan and Kenya, played in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday.
Gautam Gambhir hit back at Shahid Afridi, offering to take him to a session with "a psychiatrist" after the former Pakistan captain wrote a few uncharitable things about the Indian opener.
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.
Missing the third season of the Indian Premier League is actually a blessing in disguise for the Pakistani cricketers since it has allowed the players to gel well as a team and prepare better for the Twenty20 World Cup, skipper Shahid Afridi said on Thursday.
Sacked Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was slapped a hefty fine of 4.5 million rupees by the Pakistan Cricket Board's disciplinary committee after he pleaded guilty of breaching the Code of Conduct at a hearing in Lahore on Thursday.
A veterans' cricket match involving India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends in London on Sunday has been cancelled after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to be a part of it citing the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
