Tweet
Hong Kong, Oct 28 : Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, who decided to come out of retirement after the change in guard at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today confirmed that his next decision to retire would be his final call.
"I stopped playing because of Butt. He has gone now and I am back. I am fit and want to play. The next time I retire will be the last time," Afridi said.
The flamboyant all-rounder retired in protest after he was stripped of captaincy following the tour of the West Indies earlier this year.
A reported rift with then-coach Waqar Younis and the former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt also came into the spotlight. Speaking ahead of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes event, which starts today, Afridi said the change of leadership at the PCB paved the way for his return.
The right-hander added that the new chairman Zaka Ashraf raised hopes to the embattled side and took a swipe at the 'old man' he replaced.
"The new chairman is impressive. He has run a lot of companies, so he knows how to manage people and I hope it will be a good change. Butt was poor during his tenure. If you look at the things that happened, it's clear he did not do a good job. I think he needs to have some rest, he is in his seventies, he is an old man," the former captain said.
Afridi also said he hoped the conclusion of the trial relating to spot-fixing allegations, involving ex-skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, would allow Pakistan to step out of the shadow of the scandal.
"Whatever the outcome, it will be an example to our youngsters. It's time to leave the issue behind," Afridi said.
"I stopped playing because of Butt. He has gone now and I am back. I am fit and want to play. The next time I retire will be the last time," Afridi said.
The flamboyant all-rounder retired in protest after he was stripped of captaincy following the tour of the West Indies earlier this year.
A reported rift with then-coach Waqar Younis and the former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt also came into the spotlight. Speaking ahead of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes event, which starts today, Afridi said the change of leadership at the PCB paved the way for his return.
The right-hander added that the new chairman Zaka Ashraf raised hopes to the embattled side and took a swipe at the 'old man' he replaced.
"The new chairman is impressive. He has run a lot of companies, so he knows how to manage people and I hope it will be a good change. Butt was poor during his tenure. If you look at the things that happened, it's clear he did not do a good job. I think he needs to have some rest, he is in his seventies, he is an old man," the former captain said.
Afridi also said he hoped the conclusion of the trial relating to spot-fixing allegations, involving ex-skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, would allow Pakistan to step out of the shadow of the scandal.
"Whatever the outcome, it will be an example to our youngsters. It's time to leave the issue behind," Afridi said.
