Shahid Afridi bats for Mohammad Amir

• Shahid Afridi says PCB and Mohammad Amir should work together for Pakistan
• Former captain backs Shoaib Malik's return before T20 World Cup

LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi on Friday backed Mohammad Amir saying that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have informed the left-arm pacer about his future.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Afridi went on to say that the dispute between coaches and the fast-bowler is part of Pakistan cricket's "old tradition". He cited the example of his dispute with Waqar Younis.

Afridi went on to say that the board should have invited Amir and resolved the dispute. "They should work together for the sake of the country's respect," he stressed.

The former captain also spoke about the exclusion of Shoaib Malik from the national squad. The leg spinner believes that the all-rounder should be included in the team ahead of the T20 World Cup.

The two players were dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq, when he was holding the position of chief selector, during the Zimbabwe series that was played last year in October.

Misbah had said that Shoaib's exclusion was a “strategic decision" as they wanted to give players like Abdullah Shafiq, Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah better chances.

The chief selector had pointed out that the PCB followed the same philosophy while leaving out Mohammad Amir.

The two players were then also excluded from the 35-man squad announced for the New Zealand tour.

After the snub, Malik had stayed on but Amir announced that he will not play under Misbah and Waqar Younis.