Afridi says sorry but keeps mum on retirement Pakistan’s T20 captain refuses to accept that he

was solely responsible for team’s poor showing

NEW DELHI: A day after Pakistan lost to Australia and were thrown out of the race for the World Twenty20 semi-finals, I met Shahid Afridi at Taj Chandigarh with one question on my mind — will he or won’t he?

But Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain was evasive when asked whether he would retire from international cricket in the aftermath of his team’s disastrous campaign in the championship.

“Let’s see what happens,” he said. “I don’t want to be captain any more but I still think there is some cricket left in me,” he added.

The feeling that he is still good enough to play for Pakistan continues to stop the senior all-rounder from calling it quits.

On Wednesday, he told a special committee appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to probe the national team’s World Twenty20 debacle, that people holding solely responsible for the disaster were lying.

Sources told ‘The News’ that Afridi claimed as captain the he consulted with the head coach and senior players before taking any decisions.

Afridi, 36, conceded that as captain and senior player he did let down the team with his below-par showing in the tournament. 

Earlier, Afridi issued a video message to supporters apologising for his team’s early exit from the World Twenty20, but remained silent on his future following calls for him to retire.

Afridi has been expected to make an announcement on his future this week, but instead he took to Facebook and Twitter to issue a one-minute apology to the cricket-mad country.

Pointing to the star on his Pakistan jersey, he said: “For this star, and these colours, when I come to a ground, I carry the weight of my people’s hopes with me.

“Today, I, Shahid Afridi, apologise to the whole nation for not being able to fulfil the hopes of myself and my team.”

The 2009 champions have been widely criticised by fans for a lacklustre performance at the World T20 with just one victory, against unfancied Bangladesh, and big losses to India, New Zealand and Australia.

Like Afridi, head coach Waqar Younis is also under intense scrutiny and he offered to resign while offering his own apology at a press conference on Tuesday.

Afridi’s video met with a mostly positive response by fans posting on his Facebook page.

“Great cricketer Boom boom Afridi ..i am Indian ..but I like afridi as sportsman..come on guys support them be with ur team,” said user Narayan Kawade.

Afridi has been a fan favourite since he burst on the scene in 1996, striking a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in only his second match to set a world record that was unbeaten for 17 years.

He became known as a bowling allrounder in the second half of his career and was instrumental in Pakistan’s early successes in Twenty20, including their 2009 victory.