Shahid Afridi retires from worldwide cricket

Shahid Afridi with Waqar Younas

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi told news journalists on Monday he was retiring from all worldwide cricket, saying he was dejected after being replaced as one-day leader following a fiery clash with trainer Waqar Younis.

The 31-year-old knowledgeable difficulties with Waqar during the team’s 3-2 win against the West Indies previous this month and his public criticism of the coach in the end led to him losing the captaincy.

“Yes, I am now retired from all intercontinental cricket,” Afridi said by telephone from London. “I am dejected and hurt and anything I said about the coach it was in the best attention of the team.” Afridi, who took over as Test and one-day captain last year, abruptly retired from the longer version of the game after a heavy beat against Australia at Lord’s in July 2010.

He then led Pakistan to two one-day series defeats against England and South Africa before winning a 50-over series in New Zealand and guiding the team to the semi-finals of World Cup 2011 where they lost to eventual champions India.

Afridi lashed out at Waqar on his return from the West Indies.

“Everyone should do his job and ought to be accountable for his work,” said Afridi, reportedly irked at Waqar’s interference in team choice.

When asked about his reported problems with the coach, Afridi replied: “The differences are not at a stage where they cannot be resolved.” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took heed of the public censure and served a show reason notice to Afridi before announcing that Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq would lead the team in two one-day matches next to Ireland.

Pakistan won the series 2-0 under Misbah on Monday.

Afridi, who withdrew from the Ireland matches due to his father’s sickness in the United States, said he was roughly treated by the PCB.

“I play for my nation and for my people,” he said. “I led the team to the semi-final of the World Cup but the reward was such that I was not sure concerning my captaincy.” Afridi said his decision to stop working was final, as he would not play under the current PCB, headed by chairman Ijaz Butt, but hinted at a response if there was a change in leadership.

“This current panel treats players roughly and I will not play under this set-up. But if this set-up is changed only then will I think coming back since I have always played for my people and will play for them.” Afridi said he had battled against the game’s match-fixing hazard and had put a disjointed Pakistan team back jointly.

“When I retired from Test cricket and sensed spot-fixing in the team, I fought beside it and after the fixing affair united the team which was broken and divided,” said Afridi, referring to last year’s fixing scandal in England.

That disagreement, related to last year’s Lord’s Test against England, ended in lengthy bans on former Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

Afridi, who still holds the proof for the fastest one-day hundred, scored off 37-balls against Sri Lanka at Nairobi in 1997, was the joint leading wicket-taker with 21 in this year’s World Cup, with India’s Zaheer Khan.

The burly all-rounder scored 6,695 in 325 one-dayers and took 315 wickets as a leg-spinner. He has a tally of 1,716 runs and 48 wickets in 27 Tests.

He also holds the proof of hitting most sixes in all one-day cricket with 289.

Afridi finished as actor of the tournament in the first two editions of the World Twenty20, in 2007 and 2009, helping Pakistan to the title in the latter tournament in England.

“I served the country to the best of my ability but did not deserve this treatment. I sought to leave cricket on a contented note, but that did not come about,” he said.

Former captain Asif Iqbal said Afridi’s retirement was disappointing and said PCB chairman Butt should be seen responsible.

“It is yet another unacceptable episode in Pakistan cricket and the guilt goes to Butt who took an arbitrary decision (of replacing Afridi),” said Iqbal.

Pakistan romps to ODI victory ended Ireland

Pakistan bowled Ireland not in for just 96 on the way to a seven-wicket win in the first one-day worldwide at Stormont here on Saturday to go 1-0 up in the two-game chain.

Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, in only his fifth game at this level took four wickets for 12 runs in five overs before off-spinner Saeed Ajmal refined off the tail with three for seven in three.

World Cup semi-finalists Pakistan made light of the blustery conditions, despite having arrived from the West Indies immediately 48 hours former and finding a drop in heat of 20 degrees.

It was all a far cry for Ireland, cricket’s foremost non-Test nation, from a World Cup campaign where only two months ago they beat England with a record follow of 328.

Pakistan’s cause was helped by charming the toss in a rain-delayed match and bowling first, with Ireland’s batsmen unable to manage with the swinging and seaming ball.

Junaid Khan, just 21 years old, proved as well hot for the hosts and Saeed Ajmal finished off the end with three wickets for seven runs in three overs.

When Pakistan were set a revised victory goal of 95 in 36 overs, the batsmen did not have to take any risks and the Test match opportunity pair of Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Iqbal used all their know-how to tame the fervent Ireland attack.

When the first wicket locate reached 73, it looked as if it would be a 10 wickets win but Alex Cusack found a good length and his pressure group off the pitch had Taufeeq well caught low down at slip.

Cusack then had Hafeez bowled the ball after bringing up his fifty in 83 balls, including a six and eight fours, before removing Asad Shafiq caught at the rear. Australia-born all-rounder Cusack took three for 13.

Misbah-ul-Haq, in his first match as head of the Pakistan one-day team, hit the winning border, with man-of-the-match honours going to Junaid.

The match started as a 38 overs per side game and another rain break reduced the challenge by a extra two overs.

At that stage Ireland were in trouble at 76 for six and it would have been even worse but for a hurricane 39 from 22 balls by Paul Stirling.

The Middlesex opener hit seven fours and a six, including 19 off Tanvir Ahmed’s second over which took him out of the attack.

But when he was out, skying Junaid into the covers, in the sixth over, his team-mates folded with virtually no battle.

Apart from Stirling, only Gary Wilson (11) and Kevin O’Brien (15), the hero against England with the fastest-ever World Cup century, reached double figures for Ireland.

Such was Pakistan’s dominance, even Younis Khan was given a rare bowl.

He got in the midst of the wickets when he had John Mooney caught in the gully but at that stage Pakistan were well on their way to going 1-0 up in a series that concludes here on Monday.

Karachi is the heart of Pakistan. It is the biggest city of our country there are so many problem of, but traffic is the most important of the Karachi city, the government doing is best to solve this problem, but it is becoming complicated every day. Karachi is an industrial city.

Its populations is about 10 lac and it’s is increasing day by day. Mostly the people of Karachi are businesspersons or factory worker. They go to their places of work in the morning and return in the evening. Some people also work in government offices and private firms.

Most of the offices are in the main town and the central markets. The flow of traffic in one direction is so busy. Slow moving carriage like victories, camel’s carts also aggravate the problems. The following are the means of transport in Karachi.1 buses 2 local train 3 rickshaws 4 taxes 5 private cars etc. the poor class travels by buses and local trains.

The buses of Karachi are always over loaded. Although there are hundreds of buses in Karachi, but they are not sufficient. The result is that many people travel daily hanging on the footboard and there are daily accidents.

The middle class travels by rickshaws and taxes, but they are also not enough for the people. In the mornings and evening times it is very difficult to get a rickshaw or taxes.

They often charge double fare; even then we cannot get a rickshaw or taxes easily. our government is doing its utmost to solve this problem however, I suggest some points to solve it forever.1- roads permits should be issued without any distinction and more buses should be imported.2-the road of the city should be widened and the roundabout should be made spacious.3-the broken roads should be repair.4-rash driving should be strictly check. And fallow the rules of traffic and roads, if the signal is red we should stop our transport after this, when signal lights will be green, then we should start.

We should respect the traffic police. And obey their order. We should drive very carefully. If you are at school road then you should slow your bus or car’s speed. If you are going near to any hospital, you should not press the horn buttons.

These are the shorts point in which we can easily spend our life as a responsible person. Because we are living a noble society thus we will apply all the rules who is good for us .in our routine life we can easily see that a lot of people break the rule of traffic, they press horn button to everywhere, this is very bad hobbit and we should stop them. And another way, this is polices duty to control those people who is not fallow the traffic rules and making panic.

I don’t have a problem with any person: Waqar

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: Pakistan trainer Waqar Younis says the be short of of home internationals is a major hurdle to his young team’s hopes of climbing up the worldwide cricket rankings.

Pakistan’s second-test triumph over West Indies on Tuesday secured a drawn sequence and ensured it stayed in sixth position, one spot ahead of the Caribbean men.

In the past year, Waqar’s charges have played “home” test chain against Australia in England and next to South Africa in the United Arab Emirates even as also facing away series against England, New Zealand and West Indies.

As no test sides have wanted to travel around Pakistan since terrorists attacked the Sri Lanka team in Lahore more than two years ago, the team hasn’t had a option but to hit the road.

“It’s tough. It’s by no means easy. We’re always touring and playing on different surfaces and we don’t know the pitches and conditions,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s very hard to adjust every month or so. It’s four (overseas) venues I’ve done in less than a year. You need to play home to get the confidence of the youngsters. That’s not event so what we’re trying to do is taking the youngsters on the tour and trying to plan them, which is the hardest part in cricket.”

Waqar admitted it was hard to predict a swift return for international tours to his country but was hopeful.

“It’s not safe, we all know that. There is nothing out of sight about it,” he said. “We’re really sad about it.

“I, personally, wanted cricket to go back to the realm and it was getting there, things were starting to move in that direction.

“But then something or the other happens in a month or two months time so the whole thing goes back to square one. Let’s hope for the finest and hopefully, in six months or a year’s time, things will settle and we can receive cricket back to our country.”

Waqar said he was satisfied with the way his team bounced back following losing the opening test in Guyana and spoke highly of his inexperienced batting unit.

“There has been converse in Pakistan that we are not really batting well, we’re not really scoring runs. It’s good to see guys getting hundreds,” the previous fast bowler said.

“We haven’t had many hundreds in the history couple of years, and it’s good to see Taufeeq (Umar) in good nick and Misbah (ul-Haq) receiving runs.

“That’s a plus. The boys have started meaningful how to score runs and on difficult pitches.”

Taufeeq topscored with 135 and captain Misbah struck an winning 102 in the second innings to anchor Pakistan’s charge to victory in St. Kitts.

Pakistan’s only person century in 11 previous tests in the last year had been veteran Younis Khan’s 131 not out in Dubai last November.

Younis missed the tour of West Indies due to a passing away in the family but returns to the team for two one-day internationals against Ireland in Belfast on Saturday and Monday.

Waqar was happy to reception back the expert but was more reserved on the status of Mohammad Yousuf, the 36-year-old veteran of 90 tests who boasts an average of 52.29.

“Mohammad Yousuf is on the incorrect side of the 30s so we have to think hard,” he said. “He is a fine player, no doubt he’s served the country for a long time. If he’s 100 percent and fit, why not?”

Yousuf was playing county cricket in England for Warwickshire and has not appeared in international cricket since last November.

Waqar also squashed rumors about a rift flanked by him and Shahid Afridi, who was replaced as one-day captain for the Ireland chain and has since withdrawn from the squad.

“Misbah is great character. I am not saying that Afridi is not because he’s done a really wonderful job in the last six to eight months he’s been leader,” Waqar said.

“I don’t have any difficulty with anyone. It is sad how things are being written and all the issues being printed. We want to get better cricket and this is what we get. It is not fair, I guess.”

Pakistan seize third set in AFC U-13 Football Festival

LAHORE: Pakistan flattened Bhutan 16-0 to seize third spot in the AFC below Football Festival, which concluded in Iran on Monday.

According to information received here, Iran won the festival even as India grabbed the second position.

Munir Ahmad of Pakistan, who earned 10 goals in the fiesta, was declared the best scorer of the event.

The well-known participating teams were Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, India and Bhutan.

Sri Lanka unlikely to tour Pakistan behind new attacks

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket officials Monday reacted cautiously to an request to tour Pakistan, just two years after players were targeted in a deadly aggressive ambush in Lahore.

The fresh wave of terrorism that hit Karachi on May 23 is probable to put another question mark on the prospect of the tour materialising.

The Pakistan Cricket panel announced at the weekend that they had invited Sri Lanka to have fun three Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 game in a series proposed for October.

Sri Lanka officials believed they would need security clearance before accepting the invitation, as well as discussions with the government and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

They offered to host a event in Sri Lanka instead.

“We are awaiting clearance from the authorities previous to we can accept an invitation,” Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told AFP.

“We have in turn offered to host a tournament in Sri Lanka,” he added.

“Until everybody agrees (to tour Pakistan) it is very difficult to send our team. Everybody should understand the most horrible affected will be the players and their families,” Ranatunga told AP.

Seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach were wounded when gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team motor vehicle in Lahore in 2009. Eight Pakistanis were also killed in the attack.

Even before the Lahore attacks, Pakistan was a no-go area for many teams because of security fears.

The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat earlier this month said no team was ready to tour Pakistan at the moment because of its security situation.

Pakistan have been forced to play their “home” progression in the United Arab Emirates, England and New Zealand.

October trial date set for Pakistan cricketers

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LONDON: The trial of three Pakistan cricketers accused of spot fixing is set to start Oct. 4 in London.


Justice John Saunders set the date at the latest inquiry on Friday into the allegations that programmed no balls were bowled during a test match alongside England last year.


Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir as well as their agent, Mazhar Majeed have been emotional with conspiracy to cheat and scheme to obtain and accept corrupt payments. They were not at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.


The case centers on allegations initial uncovered in a British tabloid investigation that the players received cash for deliberately bowling no-balls throughout the fourth test against England in August.


Prosecutors disclosed at Friday’s hearing that they are trying to get hold of transcripts from part of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption tribunal that led to the three players both being banned from the sport for at least five years.


Butt, the skipper during last year’s series, received a further suspended five-year ban and Asif, a fast bowler like Amir, was handed a further two-year suspended sanction.


Undercover newspaper reporters to arrange for the players to bowl, no balls, accuse Majeed of tolerant 150,000 pounds during a sting.


Accepting corrupt payments is an offense under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a utmost sentence of seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.


Cheating is an offense under the Gambling Act 2005 and carries a utmost sentence of two years imprisonment and an unlimited very well.