Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today, warned against making hasty decision regarding the return of tainted cricketers Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir to competitive cricket.
“I would only ask the PCB to make any decision on these players very carefully after giving it much thought,” Afridi said, while speaking to media representatives during a visit to the Jinnah hospital, according to the Press Trust of India.
“No decision should be taken in haste since the future of Pakistan cricket and future generation of cricketers are at stake,” he added.
‘Boom Boom Afridi’ said Pakistan cricket and its image had suffered a lot because of the scandal and it had taken several years for the team to regain their dignity.
“I would just stay the board should think hard and discuss everything before taking a decision on these players.”
Recently, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and head of the executive committee, Najam Sethi, confirmed that many of the players, including members of the Pakistan team, are uncomfortable with the idea of playing with the tainted trio.
Afridi was captaining the three formats on tour to England in 2010 when the spot-fixing scandal took place. It was after he resigned as captain and retired from Test cricket after the first Test that PCB appointed Salman Butt to lead the team in the remaining Tests against Australia and England. The spot-fixing occurred in the fourth Test at Lord’s.
The veteran cricketer is said to have played an essential role in capture of a few culprits who were involved in ‘foul play’.
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