Afridi makes retirement U-turn

Wednesday, 19 October 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters : Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is ready to play for his country again barely five months after retiring from international cricket.

The 31-year-old announced his retirement in May after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), headed by Ijaz Butt, sacked him as ODI captain following their tour of West Indies.

A report from Pakistan’s tour manager had said Afridi had serious differences with head coach Waqar Younis and walked out of team meetings twice on the tour due to selection issues. Younis resigned as head coach after the recent tour to Zimbabwe while Butt completed his three-year tenure on Oct. 8. The government has appointed Zaka Ashraf as the PCB’s new chairman.

“I had said clearly that I will not play under the previous board and team management set-ups. Now that both are changed I am available for national selection again,” Afridi told reporters in his hometown of Karachi. “I had problems with the previous board and team management and I had made it clear they didn’t allow me to enjoy my cricket for Pakistan,” added Afridi, who led his team to the 2011 World Cup semi-finals said.

“Now that the board and team management set-ups are changed I am ready to play for my country and available for selection. I feel I still have a few years of cricket left in me.”

Afridi, who stopped playing tests last year, said he had no problems playing under any particular captain.

“My only desire is to play for Pakistan again and I welcome the new chairman of the board and am confident he will improve things in Pakistan cricket.”

Afridi, who has played in 27 tests and 325 ODIs, has had a controversial career and was banned and fined twice by the International Cricket Council.