Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
How about this scenario. Afridi might have realized that he is not an automatic selection for every test and his inclusion depends on the pitch and playing conditions. However, whether or not he's in the playing eleven, he has to stay with the squad for the entire duration of the test series. This means more time away from family without the benefit of 'actually playing the match'. He also has to spend some time playing county cricket which is a good source of income for him, and the tight schedule means even less personal time.
Given all that, maybe he decided to pull out of test cricket for now, under the awareness that he might not have been selected for all tests anyway. What's wrong with someone's decision to use that 'uncertain time on bench' with family instead?
He seems to have taken a break from the format that was going to be of least benefit to him (in his view). Stop badmouthing him and Inzi.
well said,.lekin afridi ke begayr test match ka kya faida,.............................AFRIDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NA JAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:(
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
for those of you that are saying this was 'politically motivated' or 'irrational' of afridi, the fact of the matter is, we'll never know for sure the real reason behind his decision.
if you're a true pakistani cricket fan, you're going to respect the players decision to focus on a form of cricket that will be more beneficial for the world-cup next year. who cares about the complications and political implications behind his decision...
afridi has been somewhat 'struggling' in odi's as of late... his good test form isn't really going to help pakistan next year in the world cup... so even if he's being "selfish" or "irrational", i see this as benefiting the team for the wc 07
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
So I guess Andrew Miller is born yesterday, cz he has taken Afridi’s statement at face value and ran away with it. While so many of you were speculating on hidden motives and basically insulting the player, Andrew’s article on CricInfo](http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/244193.html), linked earlier in this thread as well, emphasizes that too much cricket is going to burn players off, and ultimately test cricket will lose out. Before reading that article, I hadn’t completely comprehended what BCCI is planning to do. To add 25 ODI’s (most will likely be against Pakistan) to an already cramped schedule is insane. In a separate thread I had already pointed out that Pakistan has an obnoxiously full schedule leading up to the World Cup, where the likely result will be a lot of unfit players by the time WC is upon us.
In a way, Afridi’s decision is symbolic of a growing problem. In order to play for long term, players will have to become selective, and while purists amongst us will love test cricket, the packed stadiums and lucrative appearance fees will tilt the scale for ODI games.
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
Oye mere Afridi-pankha bhai. Andre Miller is a gora. Poor soul doesnt know what kinda of attention-whore desis can be. Whoever thinks that Afridi is doing it because of packed cricket schedule , is kidding. If this is the case then why is he keeping his ‘retirement’ open by saying that he will reconsider it after WC '07. Uske baad kya PCB ne kam cricket khelna shuru kar dena hai.
He is just another so called super star, that our desi teams keep bringing up every now and then, who think they are bigger than game just because they have bigger fan following.
By the way , your concern about too much cricket is valid. Lekin Afridi ke kandhe se dambook mat chalaiye..
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
Since he is just a "so-called" superstar, meaning not a real superstar, then his leaving test cricket 'temporarily' shouldn't cause anyone any heart ache either. Mediocre players come and go all the time. Why the big fuss? :)
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
I'm surprised you guys are trying to rationalize Afridi's decision. Don't we know the guy better than that? Khocha damagh is capable of doing anything.
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
I would strictly like to disagree with "another so-called superstar" phrase, as this does not dignify or exalt Afridi by any means whatsoever. I am still criticizing and censuring our board very heavily for that momentous blunder that has been conveniently now brushed under the carpet by many, not only here, but the entire nation for that matter. Granted that problems could certainly have taken a giant toll between him and Inzamam, with the way he sounded in his audio interview, shortly followed by the almighty Inzamam himself with his "politically correct verbage" and the manner in which everything is "generalized", I have a strong reason to believe, coming from that point in end, that the decision to drop Afridi was indeed an erratum and miscued decision, something which no man alive has taken the responsibility of and most likely never will, and a decision which is likely to have an influence on the state of Pakistani Test Cricket from hereon till the big trophy.
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
^ Ditto, he was dropped for the first test against England too, despite having made a century in his previous test. He has been handled extremely poorly, his efforts to emerge as a success Test player were nullified again and again by PCB's (Inzi's) mind boggling selection policies.
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
jhe was dropped because he didnot fit into the schemes of thing. There are some time where team balance is important and somebody fails to make it to eleven. Kaif was dropped in Chandigarh after scoring match saving 90 in nagpur test. There are other instances of people getting dropped after a good performance. It happens. Be a team man. Take it on stride and move on. But then for many Desi cricketters it is all about them and their ego. In the last test choice was between him and Faisal Iqbal. Team management thought Faisal was more reliable batsman than Afridi and went with it. Many may not agree with this assessment but I am sure there are plenty who will think that it was probably good Idea.
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
First of all we are not eve sure if the reasone behind is really the ego or its more than that. In any case I think one should respect his decision and let it go instead of twisting it.
Secondly I don’t think it was Faisal replacing him in 2nd test at Kandy I think it was Iftikhar who was replacing him. Even if Faisal was replacing him I don’t see the reason for picking Iftikhar they could have easily placed Afridi instead of Iftikhar but than there could be something else going on between Inzi and Afridi or other issues due to which Afridi got dropped.
Another way to look at it is…
A. He thinks by doing retiring temporarily he could calm things instead of make them even worst.
B. This is the only way he could make his point to PCB.
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
Read below. Strange thing is that he wants to spend more time with family, and wants some time off cricket, yet he will be playing county cricket for Ireland and Lashings (instead of playing tests for Pak).
Re: Breaking News: Shahid Afridi retires from Test cricket till WC 2007
thats shocking, at one side he is representing Ireland while on other side he retired from pakistan`s test cricket. it was not expected . he is young & paid for it heavily. if he has announced retirement than what inzi , yousuf & akher doing there..........
if you know it changes in all post once avatar is accepted 