Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt has said former one-day captain Shahid Afridi will never leave the interior side again, blaming him for losing matches against the West Indies in May. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
KARACHI:Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt has said former one-day captain Shahid Afridi will never leave the interior side again, blaming him for losing matches against the West Indies in May.
"In my opinion, perhaps considered wrong by some people, he made us lose the 4th and fifth one-dayers," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Butt said in an audience to Geo Super broadcast late Thursday.
"As far as I am concerned he is not captaincy material for the PCB anymore," said Butt of Afridi, who was dumped as captain after Pakistan won the overall series against the West Indies 3-2.
Afridi subsequently breached his declaration by announcing his retreat from international cricket and criticising the PCB for mistreating senior players.
The PCB suspended Afridi`s contract, revoked his license to work abroad and directed him to look before a disciplinary committee.
Afridi took the PCB to court but eventually agreed on an out-of-court settlement that saw him fined Rs4.5 million but granted permission to run 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 reconcile with the PCB.
"He is no more on our contract_ after the West Indies tour he was no more the master as our insurance was to name a master after every series and he knew that," said Butt.
Butt accused Afridi of politicising the row, saying he had to stand off calls from former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the regulator of the Afridi`s home state of Sindh, Ishrat-ul-Ibaad.
"I told them point blank that I leave not budge and Afridi will give to look before the disciplinary committee," said Butt.
Butt said leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who was arrested then released without blame in connexion with a spot-fixing scandal in England, had not been vindicated to work because he is not speaking the truth.
"He is mired 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 prayer against not being cleared for work in a bid to repair 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 law released the Pakistani spinner without any charges. Westfield faces criminal charges.
Butt said another under-suspicion all-rounder Shoaib Malik was likewise not cleared.
"We make a previous Supreme Court justice in the integrity committee and he said that Malik is not speaking truth, if he speaks the accuracy and clear he can pass in the squad as we take him in one-day matches," said Butt.
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