Shahid Afridi Announces Retirement
KARACHI: Former Pakistan one day capatin, Shahid Afridi has announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday evening, according to reports.
Local media reported that Afridi, currently in the US, had decided to announce his retirement from international cricket after weeks of estranged ties with the Pakistan Cricket Board which saw him being replaced as the Pakistan team captain.
Afridi had come under sharp criticism for comments he made about the team management when he returned home following a lackluster end to the one day series in West Indies which saw Pakistan cede ground too easily in the final two one day internationals. Pakistan had won the series 3-2.
His comments caused a storm between team management and the explosive batsmen and it prompted PCB to remove Afridi as the ODI team captain.
Afridi reportedly said that it was difficult for him to play under the current cricket board, which he says pays no respect to senior players.
Afridi had also withdrawn from the current two match series against Ireland citing ill health of his father as the reason to skip the series. Afridi had already been replaced by Misbahul Haq as the team captain by the PCB.
Shahid Afridi made his ODI debut on 2nd of October 1996 against Kenya and his Test debut on 22nd of October 1998 against Australia.
Afridi is the leading wicket-taker in the twenty-twenty format, taking 53 wickets in 43 matches.
In June 2009 Afridi took over the twenty-twenty captaincy from Younus Khan, and was later appointed one-day captain for the 2010 Asia Cup.
In his first international innings, Afridi broke the record for the fastest century in one-day international cricket, scoring a hundred in 37 balls.
