Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said that he was not responsible for the consecutive defeats against the West Indies during the five-match ODI series in the Caribbean earlier this year. The former captain was responding to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt’s comments who recently accused that the team lost the last two matches against the West Indies because of the captain. “I was not even involved in team selection for these matches,” Afridi told reporters in Karachi. ”Everybody knows the truth that who was involved in controversies.” Afridi, who announced his retirement from cricket by saying that he will not return under the current PCB set-up, maintained he will not reverse his decision. “I will return if fans want it but I can’t play with hypocrites around,” Indian news agency PTI quoted him as saying.“I am not the man who takes u-turn,” he said while ruing that the controversy which led his retirement, affected plans for team’s prospects. “I, along with Misbah, planned a lot for team’s prospects which has now been derailed.” Afridi, while commenting on team selection for forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe, welcomed inclusion of youngsters but stressed that the new-comers who were included for West Indies and Ireland series should also get the chance. “It is good to include youngsters but players like Hammad Azam, who didn’t get chance earlier, should have been included,” he added. Afridi said he will leave on August 3 to join his county side Hampshire for its quarterfinal clash at the ongoing Friends Life T20 tournament.
