Friday, July 16, 2010

Shahid Afridi announces Retirement from Test Cricket to Focus on ODI and T20

The retirement news of Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, from Test cricket has come as a big shock. Afridi announced that he would retire from Test cricket after the second Test against Australia at Headingley starting from 21st July 2010.

He will hand over the captaincy to vice-captain Salman Butt, who will lead the Pakistan cricket team in the remaining four Test series against England.

After his team lost the opening test match by 150-run, he made his announcement of retirement to BBC Radio.

Ahead of the three month long tour of England, Shahid Afridi was given captaincy.

Shahid Afridi was never a great fan of playing Test cricket. He last played Test cricket in 2006 against England. Since then he was not seen to play any single Test match for his country. It would be difficult for him to get back into Test cricket after such a long break.

Afridi said to media, "I was not keen to play Test cricket and was asked by the Pakistani Board to assume captaincy for this tour. I am comfortable in T20 and one-day matches. My temperament is not good for Test matches. I know it would be tough for me to get back into Test cricket after such a long lay off.

I thought that it would good for me to take a chance in Test cricket and find how I would fare but now I have found out that I am not ready for the Test matches and has now decided not to continue playing Test matches after Leeds match."

As the reason of his retirement, he is still some uncomfortable with injury that he sustained last month at Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. He said that he was not fully fit. His injury has led him to a decision of taking retirement from Test cricket after the second test.

Pakistan coach, Waqar Younis, has agreed with this idea of Afridi.

1 comment:

  1. Gd decision dude...u r nt made 4 playing tests

    ReplyDelete