Though the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were observed to be at the opposite ends in the Sindh Assembly on Friday over political and city issues, they stood united on the current cricket controversy after Shahid Afridi’s retirement announcement.
MQM’s Sports Minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah drew the chair’s attention towards the cricket issue, saying that Afridi had been removed from the captaincy and kicked out of the team as part of a conspiracy. He said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has done injustice to many good players. He complained that now only Asad Shafiq from Karachi is left in the national team. He demanded immediate removal of the PCB chairman.
PPP’s Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani supported Shah’s view and said that the new PCB chairman should be appointed from the province. When Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro said that Shah himself could be the new chairman, Durrani expressed his support over the recommendation. Law Minister Ayaz Soomro also supported the views and said that a Sindhi player should be inducted into the national cricket team as well.
Khuhro, Shah and others expressed their support over this suggestion.
