Afridi should reconsider decision, says Bukhari

Professor Syed Sirajul Islam Bukhari, secretary of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), has made an impassioned plea to Shahid Afridi to withdraw his decision to retire from Test cricket.

Bukhari said that looking at Afridi's 10-year stint in Test cricket during which he was given the chance to play just 24 Tests in which he scored 1634 runs including five centuries and took 44 wickets, he should have been restrained from making this decision.

"His ODI record is also highly impressive as he has scored 4824 runs and taken 184 wickets in 222 matches, which confirms that he should continue to be an integral part of both Test and one-day teams.

"It was unfortunate that Shahid was sidelined from the Pakistan team for quite some time before he staged an exciting comeback. He appears to be upset after being dropped in the recent Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.

"Afridi should learn a lesson from Asim Kamal, another young Karachi Test cricketer who is constantly being ignored by the national selectors after his Test debut against South Africa when he made a swashbuckling 99.

"Asim also has an impressive Test record scoring 717 runs with eight fifties in just 12 Test matches in which he was given the opportunity to play. It is heartening to learn that Shahid wants to focus his full attention to prepare for the 2007 World Cup but that does not mean that he should deprive Pakistan of his services in Test matches during this intervening period.

"Shahid should have consulted his mentors and well-wishers before coming out with such a startling and shocking announcement." Bukhari hopes that Shahid will reconsider his decision and make himself available to the national selectors for both Test and ODI Pakistan teams.