Afridi won’t captain Pakistan again: Butt

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has said former one-day captain Shahid Afridi will never lead the national side again, blaming him for losing matches against the West Indies. “In my opinion, perhaps considered wrong by some people, he made us lose the fourth and fifth one-dayers,” he said in a private television interview.
“As far as I am concerned he is not captaincy material for the PCB anymore,” said Butt of Afridi, who was dumped as a captain after Pakistan won the overall series against the West Indies 3-2.
Afridi subsequently breached his contract by announcing his retirement from international cricket and criticising the PCB for mistreating senior players. The PCB suspended Afridi’s contract, revoked his permission to play abroad and directed him to appear before a disciplinary committee. Afridi took the PCB to court but finally agreed on an out-of-court settlement that saw him fined Rs 4.5 million but granted permission to play for Hampshire in the Twenty20 league in England. Asked if Afridi would be allowed back on the team, Butt said: “He has not given us his retirement. If he wants to resign, he has to resign with the PCB.”
“He is no more on our contract after the West Indies tour he was no more the captain as our policy was to appoint a captain after every series and he knew that,” said Butt. Butt accused Afridi of politicising the row, saying he had to fend off calls from former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the governor of the Afridi’s home province of Sindh, Ishrat-ul-Ibaad.
“I told them point blank that I will not budge and Afridi will have to appear before the disciplinary committee,” said Butt. Butt said leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who was arrested then released without charge in connection with a spot-fixing scandal in England, had not been cleared to play because he was not speaking the truth.
“He is involved in certain things, which unless he clarifies himself, and he has not done so far, he will not be considered (for selection),” said Butt. Kaneria has filed a petition against not being cleared for play in a bid to revive his international career, stalled since last year. Kaneria and his Essex team-mate Marvyn Westfield were arrested in a spot-fixing case last year, but the police released the Pakistani spinner without any charges. Westfield faces criminal charges.
Butt said another under-suspicion all-rounder Shoaib Malik was also not cleared. “We have a former Supreme Court judge in the integrity committee and he said that Malik is not speaking truth, if he speaks the truth and cleared he can walk in the team as we need him in one-day matches,” said Butt.
Cricinfo adds: The PCB chairman said that the spot-fixing controversy that resulted in bans imposed on three leading Pakistan players has been the biggest disappointment of his tenure. He stated that losing Salman Butt, Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Asif to the spot-fixing scandal hurt him most since taking over as chairman of the board in October 2008.
“It hurts a lot, especially when I came to know the details,” Ijaz Butt said.
He said Salman Butt’s involvement had come as a shock as he was tipped to lead Pakistan for a long time. “He had the educational background, grooming and performances to carry on as captain. He would have solved our captaincy problems.” About his own future, Butt said: “This is something I would not like to discuss because the matter is still not clear. I have my opinion, my boss has his opinion and they are at conflict.
But shortly before October one way or the other, it will be decided. I have interest in cricket that is why I am working as the chairman of the PCB but it is also a fact that I have suffered a lot as I hold certain important assignments and they have been affected.”