Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
i just read that Yousaf is retired, he was my fave batsmen. :(
Not sure if Butt even wants the job of Captaincy, has he ever captained the team before?
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
this would be a great time for butt to put his ego aside and bring younus khan back as a test captain...cricinfo said it will either be salman, kamran, shoaib malik, or younis. they are going to decide on friday and whoever is made captain will be the captain for the next upcoming match against australia likely since afridi is not fit enough to play....I am seriously getting tired of this drama every 3 weeks. Get ready to lose all of the test matches!
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
^ brilliant, on the one hand PCB dont even consider Malik or younis good enough to play in the team and on the other they are considering to make them captain.
Can only happen in Pakistan.
There is no limit to the stupidity of this board.
In this new Drama plot, I dont understand one thing. If you're injured now, then you dont play immediately. It's not like, I am injured now and I will play a couple of tests and then retire. Read this statement again and tell me if it makes sense to you. "I've not been fully fit with a side strain and so I will not play Test cricket after the match in Leeds," Afridi said.
^ brilliant, on the one hand PCB dont even consider Malik or younis good enough to play in the team and on the other they are considering to make them captain.
Can only happen in Pakistan.
There is no limit to the stupidity of this board.
As long as Ijaz Butt is around, Younus will not play for Pakistan. I think that's for sure.
Re: Afridi’s Retires from tests
Guys…it does not matter who should lead Pakistan in the test cricket…Salman Butt or anyone else…Pakistan will still lose to most teams in the world in the near future…especially in the test format…so I don’t see any big deal… 
PS: What we need to is to lay a solid domestic cricket foundation and structure…from here we can start picking up for the internationals…some good domestic coaches… 
PS1: Winning by chance is not a good idea…hmmmmmmmm
I hope he denies the call back for this tour at least coz he is bound to fail as he is out of touch from any form of cricket from last 3-4 months and I hope keeping his ego aside, Butt uncle also recalls Younus Khan the batsman if not younus khan the captain
“injuries” are always topi-drama when it comes to Pakistan cricket, however as you point out, Afridi doesn’t even know how to use ‘injury’ as an excuse 
when afridi said “side strain”, may be he meant Pakistani Side Strain? 
Re: Afridi’s Retires from tests
Was Afridi not aware about his injury or temparament when he was named as Captain ? That time he was happy and said that the board got no other choice than to named me as the captain and now he is providing lame excuses …
It this is what he plays for the nation? When it comes to his own image which would have definately gone down after the result of the test match, he quit himself as a captain ?
The good thing that the board has done on immediate basis is that Afridi has been dropped from the 2nd Test Match … :k:
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
Wow...PCB's Ejaz Butt is the most retards of all...lol...such chaos in Pakistan cricket...never witnessed before...though winning a match by chance here and there is still not ruled out...
Even the recall of Yousuf & Younis and other banned/discarded cricketers...this man can guarantee you that Pakistan will still lose matches in the near future before stabalizing itself...lol
PS: Gone are the goners...rebuild on the new footings...lose matches to win in the future...seems more solid and sure...hmmmm
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
Atleast he has courage to say it in front of all ppl that he dont have temprament.
His decision is good for him as well as pakistan.
Afridi should be removed from the ODI captaincy.
So Afridi retires, unretires and retires again.
It sure took many years for the "30 Yrs old" Afridi to find out that he was not temperamentally suited to Test Cricket. But then nothing is guaranteed in Pak cricket - Afridi can very well come back to test cricket again at some later time "to answer the call of the country" (after all he is so selfless).
Pakistani cricket is paisa-wasool entertainment.
btw, Ponting did sort out Afridi after all.
Pakistan has all the right pieces to take this talented team to the next level. All we needed was an inspirational leader who could build self-esteem among these players.
We lost due to lack of mental strength and discipline. PCB chose a captain who is exactly that! Lack of discipline and an Idiot!
Role models who ditch a national team in the middle of a series instead of fighting back should have their nationality revoked. Thanks for serving the country you moron!
Pakistan has all the right pieces to take this talented team to the next level. All we needed was an inspirational leader who could build self-esteem among these players.
We lost due to lack of mental strength and discipline. PCB chose a captain who is exactly that! Lack of discipline and an Idiot!
Role models who ditch a national team in the middle of a series instead of fighting back should have their nationality revoked. Thanks for serving the country you moron!
Could not agree more with you here
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
I will not argue with anyone about lack of discipline. But I would say that Pakistan team has never followed any discipline and has always been eccentric, including the golden generation times (Wasim, Waqar, Inzi, etc).
Afridi has or had two options since coming back in test cricket.
i) Fight it out for a whole series against Australia or even England and then decide whether his presence in test cricket is good or bad for the team. But he will give away his wicket 90% of the time so he cannot lead by example in this format (kis munh se kahega Umar Akmal ya Umar Amin ko stay at the wicket and fight it out). He had the danger of losing his authority and respect over the whole team for the shorter formats.
ii) Make way for a more proper batsman in the team immediately (Yasir Hameed or even Malik) to give our already fragile batting line up a better chance at winning a test match during this rebuilding phase.
Now both options have pros and cons but I personally believe that for the betterment of the team (and not for himself) he has made the right choice. And his minor injury has helped his decision. Compare this decision with recent captains' reluctance to acknowledge your own shortcomings and blame younger players for the team's failures.
Afridi has made stupid calls in the past but I believe that this is the a right decision at not the most suitable of times. But kudos to him for being honest and brave.
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
Well Afridi should never have accepted test captaincy in the first place knowing his limitations - limited batting technique and lack of test temperament and discipline. Knowing his mental (self-destructive) approach to batting how could he expect to lead by example in tests. That was stupid of him all along.
Re: Afridi's Retires from tests
Suckers like Afridi, Younas dont understand that being in Pakistan team especially as a cpatain is a great previledge .. both have walked away at crucial times have made it a joke.. both should be kicked out of team for ever...
All saying exactly the same thing
‘Afridi has harmed Pakistan cricket and should be penalised’
“If he was not prepared for Test cricket then he should have thought about this before accepting the captaincy. His decision has come at a wrong time for Pakistan cricket and will complicate issues in the team.”
Former Pakistan keeper Moin Khan predicts trouble ahead
“It makes no sense that Afridi should decide now he is not ready to play Test matches. He is himself totally confused as to what he wants do. To make him the Test captain was a wrong decision.”
Former captain Zaheer Abbas says Afridi shouldn’t have been captain in the first place
"Test cricket will be none the poorer for his absence. His brainless batting besmirched this match; his astonishing lack of leadership mocked some of his team-mates’ best efforts."
*The *Telegraph’s Steve James has little sympathy for Afridi
“I ask the board, is this not a violation of the code of conduct to announce such a big decision without taking team management into confidence?”
Javed Miandad wants Afridi to be punished for giving up the captaincy
“I think his act is unpardonable. Afridi has harmed Pakistan cricket and he should be penalised for that. They are several better ways if you want to announce your retirement from Tests. Afridi chose the worst way.”
Ramiz Raja is of the same opinion
“We all know he took the captaincy unwillingly, but when he took the responsibility he should have fulfilled it. His sudden decision will also affect younger players.”
Former Pakistan spinner Iqbal Qasim thinks Afridi should have stuck it out
“Clearly he made the decision himself; he could not be pushed, having been beseeched so recently by his board to return to Test cricket.”
Vic Marks writes in the Observer that there wasn’t any pressure on Afridi to quit
“Afridi was a misfit in Test team so it put added pressure on him.”
Former Pakistan spinner and selector Abdul Qadir thinks Afridi shouldn’t have been in the side
“I don’t think there was ever any place in the Test squad for Afridi, and in the first place he should not have been considered for the Tests”
Asif Iqbal, the former Pakistan captain, questions the board’s selection methods
“Afridi was lamentable, an indisciplined disaster, whose sole virtue, bless him, was to recognise that he did not have the temperament for Test cricket.”
In the Independent on Sunday, Stephen Brenkley compliments Afridi’s honesty
“The national team is not the place for experimentations. Afridi has let Pakistan cricket down.”
Aamer Sohail is disappointed
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/467890.html