Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi is all set to participate in the county circuit in England, after being axed by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Afridi was ignored for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of England, and despite making himself available for T20I’s, Afridi was overlooked for younger players. Afridi was not the only player to miss out, as Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal were dropped on disciplinary grounds as well.
In his chat with Geo News, Afridi stated that in order to boost his chances of a comeback, he would play on the county circuit in England this season. Afridi, also backed the PCB’s decision to sack him and urged Akmal and Shehzad to be more careful in the future. “I am just focussing on T20 cricket and I had informed the board about my commitment in English county cricket this summer. But I will obviously work hard on my form and fitness in order to make the Pakistan team,” Afridi said.
Afridi added that the PCB must take care of the game in Pakistan from the basic grass root level. “The way I see it right now we don’t have that much real talent in the background. I can’t pinpoint any young player with certainty. I think the Board needs to pay attention to school cricket and work at the grassroots level,” Afridi said.
Commenting on the axing of Shehzad and Akmal, Afridi said, “I don’t know why they (Shehzad, Akmal) are dropped, but if discipline is the reason then obviously they need to pay attention to this and work harder on their cricket. I also agree that there should be no compromise on discipline and it is time to give young players a chance,” concluded Afridi.