** Pakistan allrounder and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has announced he is ready to return to Tests, nearly four years after he last played the game’s longest format. Afridi said the forthcoming ‘home’ series against England and Australia, all in England, prompted his decision to return.
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**“I am ready to play Test cricket because I feel that my country needs me and in this time of need I would not let my team and the country down,” Afridi told AFP. “My father was ill and my family wanted more attention from me so I was mainly focusing on the shorter forms of the game, but now we have to play six Tests in England and my team needs me, so I am available.”
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** Afridi, who has scored 1683 runs in 26 Tests, announced a surprise ‘temporary retirement’ from Tests in 2006 as he couldn’t withstand the pressures of being an international cricketer. He added he wanted to concentrate on the game’s shortest formats, but changed his mind less than a fortnight later after the then PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and coach Bob Woolmer persuaded him to reverse his decision. However, the tour of England that summer was his last Test outing with Pakistan.
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**He was appointed Twenty20 captain after Younis Khan announced his retirement from the format following Pakistan’s triumph the ICC World Twenty20 in England last year. Back then, he was rather reluctant to return to the Test side. He could be in the running for the ODI captaincy for the Asia Cup, but the PCB has announced they will announce the captain on May 25. The indefinite bans imposed on Mohammad Yousuf and Younis, and the one-year ban on Shoaib Malik has left the team with the dearth of senior players, and Afridi has stepped in to lend more experience to the team.
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Is that a subtle hint that he wants to be captain for all three formats?
It is a tactical decision from afridi. He wants to keep his grip strong over the players...
Honestly speaking he is not test material..
Saeed ajmal as well as kamran akmal both not very much fit for test cricket.
I hope butt will be given chance in test matches..
wonder if he'll still make himself available if he's not made test captain.
it's utterly laughable that a man doesn't even have the temperament to bat sensibly in ODIs forget about tests. and has never deserved or commanded a consistent place in the test team is going to become captain. shameful. a new low for Pak cricket.
what is he going to play as? his batting is nonexistent. as a spinner, he has to compete for a spot with Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal both of whom are better bowlers than him. so how does he get into the side and in what role?
From the whitewash in Australia to the dirty laundry of the recent PCB video, there isn’t much reputation left to worry about. We have a bunch of uneducated, uncivilized and third class politicians in the board and the team.
For this summer, Pakistan doesn’t have a lot of options. I say bring back Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar to test cricket, however, the batting area still remains vulnerable and inexperienced. New batsmen should get an opportunity. If we go towards bhanja, damad etc we will waste yet another summer.
*"I am ready to play Test cricket because I feel that my country needs me and in this time of need I would not let my team and the country down," Afridi told *AFP. "My father was ill and my family wanted more attention from me so I was mainly focusing on the shorter forms of the game, but now we have to play six Tests in England and my team needs me, so I am available."
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Nope, the country doesn't really need you, YOU don't decide when your country needs you.
IF he becomes captain of all formats, I will stop watching Pakistan cricket.
wonder if he'll still make himself available if he's not made test captain.
it's utterly laughable that a man doesn't even have the temperament to bat sensibly in ODIs forget about tests. and has never deserved or commanded a consistent place in the test team is going to become captain. shameful. a new low for Pak cricket.
what is he going to play as? his batting is nonexistent. as a spinner, he has to compete for a spot with** Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal both of whom are better bowlers than him. so how does he get into the side and in what role?**
When Captain, he don't have to compete, he just have to make anyone sit on the bench so that he can play...
From the whitewash in Australia to the dirty laundry of the recent PCB video, there isn’t much reputation left to worry about. We have a bunch of uneducated, uncivilized and third class politicians in the board and the team.
For this summer, Pakistan doesn’t have a lot of options. I say bring back Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar to test cricket, however, the batting area still remains vulnerable and inexperienced. New batsmen should get an opportunity. If we go towards bhanja, damad etc we will waste yet another summer.
There are more than 4/5 overs to be bowled in test cricket and that is there is no rest for 5 days, i don't think Shoaib can do it.... he can be considered in T20s
^ Before T20 World Cup, he was touted the only aggressive player who plays with responsibility (when being captain). So what happened in the cup, what was his performance? Besides, he is similar drama queen like Younis Khan i.e I retire, I take retirement back, I want to play Test, I don't want to play Test matches. It just shows how committed one is towards th game and country.
We need one captain for all formats after the drama that has happened recently. (and the soap operas that has been revealed by the stupid media through leaked videos)
Salman Butt is the only candidate who warrants a place in all forms of cricket. If Afridi is T20 and ODI captain and lets assume another player is made test captain, we will have same problems creeping up where people are running for captaincy lobbying etc in all format... That test captain will be playing under Afridi in T20 and ODIs... add 2+2 and you will see why Afridi is a sane choice for a stop gap solution. We need a period of continuity (free of controversies) and we will see positive results on the pitch!
