But only a good show in India from the all-rounder as well as the Pakistan team can help him continue playing international cricket
KARACHI: Shahid Afridi might be reconsidering his decision to retire from international cricket after next month’s Twenty20 World Cup but there are doubts whether Pakistan will retain the seasoned all-rounder for national duty after the biennial event in India.
Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Wednesday that Pakistan cricket’s think-tank was left surprised by Afridi, who hinted in an interview that he might decide to play on even after the Twenty20 World Cup.
“Pakistani selectors and team officials were already thinking beyond Afridi and had even short-listed players who could replace him as captain and main all-rounder in the Twenty20 format,” a source said.
“Many of them believe that it was time that Afridi quit international cricket so that they can start rebuilding the Twenty20 team under a new leader,” he added.
But such has been Afridi’s popularity and clout that despite his unpredictable form, the 36-year-old continues to find place in the national line-up.
According to another source, Afridi could still retain Pakistan’s Twenty20 captaincy but only if the team performs well in India.
“Much will depend on how Pakistan perform in the Twenty20 World Cup. Say, if we win and Afridi does well then it would be tough for PCB to say goodbye to him against his wishes. But if the team’s performance is not up to the mark then there is little hope for Afridi to continue his international career after the World Cup.”
In an interview after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Dubai, Afridi commented that he is facing “huge pressure” from family and friends to not retire from international cricket in April at the end of the World T20 in India. Afridi, who will turn 36 on March 1, plays only T20 internationals for Pakistan and is now reconsidering his decision to quit the format.
After the 2015 World Cup, Afridi had announced his intention to retire from international cricket following the World T20, but now it appears he has not made up his mind. “I’m not saying that,” he told Cricinfo, when asked if he was going to continue playing. “I am saying there is a lot of pressure on me that I shouldn’t retire from T20. That I can play on, and as such there is no real talent coming through in Pakistan whose place I am taking.
“For a while now there is a lot of pressure from my family, a lot of pressure from my friends, including my elders, who say there is no need for me to retire from Twenty20. That is a huge pressure. For now, in truth, I am focusing only on the World Cup. That is a huge challenge for me.
“First I want to see where Pakistan stand in the World Cup. Whether I am capable of taking the team forward on the back of my performances. I want to check where I am standing myself. As far as playing goes my fitness is zabardast (awesome). Energy is also there. I can play cricket. But I would be able to tell things clearly after the World Twenty20.”
Afridi was the catalyst in Pakistan’s World T20 triumph in 2009 in England, when he made half-centuries in the semi-final and final. He has played in all five editions of the World T20 and has the most international caps and wickets in the format - 90 and 91. Afridi’s economy rate of 6.66 is third best in all T20s for bowlers with 200 wickets - only West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine and Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal are ahead of him in the list of 14. His batting strike rate of 154.61 is second only to Andre Russell among batsmen with 2000-plus T20 runs. Afridi’s T20I captaincy record is mixed with 16 wins and 19 losses in 35 internationals.
In the PSL, where he led Peshawar Zalmi, Afridi was the second highest wicket-taker for his team, with ten wickets. He scored only 87 runs in seven innings, though, and Peshawar were eliminated in the third qualifying final by eventual winners Islamabad United.