Zaheer Abbas
“I don’t understand why he needed to do this. Today he is blaming this board but he has forgotten that it was this board that supported and backed him even during his ball-tampering incident in Australia and even when he didn’t perform. Even when the team reached the World Cup semifinals, the board not only rewarded him but gave him lot of respect. If Afridi had any issues with the team management, he should have waited until board chairman Ijaz Butt had met all stakeholders in the team to sort out things. The sort of language he has used while announcing his retirement is unacceptable at any level. There is no excuse for behaving this way”.
Abdul Qadir
“Nowadays, it has become a joke to announce retirement. Our players are doing it regularly and are only causing embarrassment to Pakistan cricket. Even if Afridi had any issues with the team management or board, he should have talked to the chairman first before taking a decision. I don’t think there were any circumstances to behave in this matter. He is part of the management and it is his responsibility to ensure internal issues are sorted out internally”.
Iqbal Qasim
“Afridi’s decision would only cause damage to cricket. In the end it is cricket that suffers, which is sad. I don’t know what happened in the team or between Afridi and the board but I don’t think he needed to take such a step. He needed to be more careful with what he says in the media. After all there is a code of conduct for every player particularly the captain. I don’t think his decision is justified. I just hope he and the board now sit down and sort things out quickly or this issue will only cause more harm to Pakistan cricket”.
Rashid Latif
“It happened so suddenly. I don’t know what is right or wrong but I know this much that the government or board needs to set up an independent commission to find out what or who are those elements in Pakistan cricket who are forcing senior players to take such decisions and why. The commission should find out what is happening in the team that senior players in the past like Younis Khan, Muhammad Yousuf and now Afridi have decided to take the course of leaving the captaincy or retiring”.
Moin Khan
“It is the board which is to blame as the way they treated Afridi was unfair. There was no reason for removing him as captain when he was leading the team so well. He had achieved successes. There are people in the management who want all the authority while Ijaz Butt wants to hold all the cards and run a one-man show. This is not the way to run cricket because at the end of the day the captain needs to be given all authority to take decision. A captain must be given respect. I think Afridi had no choice but to retire after the unceremonious way he was removed as captain. If there was a disciplinary issue the board should have made it clear”.
Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia
“Afridi’s decision to retire from international cricket is the right decision at the right time. He would have played cricket for another one or two years more and his retirement has come at a right time. He has taken the right decision. But the way he retired is questionable and him accusing the PCB is wrong. There is no such thing as lobbying against him as far as I know. You can’t have such a situation where players want to dictate terms. If he was removed as captain he was selected as a player and if he had any problems he should have discussed it with the board. Players can’t be allowed to violate discipline and the code. I don’t think there was any justification for Afridi’s decision to retire and criticize the board in such a harsh manner.”
Shaharyar Khan.
“I just hope it is sorted out soon. But the fact is that Afridi has always been a bit of a loose cannon in the media. But he was doing well as captain so the board should have given him more chances as captain”.
