Shahid Afridi announces early retirement

KARACHI: Flamboyant Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi announced an early retirement from international cricket, in protest against his removal from the captaincy of the national one-day team.

"The people have given me lot of respect and love and I don't want to waste that working with this board who don't know how to respect players," an angry Afridi said.

In a scathing attack on the Pakistan Cricket Board, Afridi described the current set of administrators as a disgrace to Pakistan cricket.

Afridi who announced his retirement from all international cricket as a protest against the board for removing him as captain of the national one-day team told Geo News channel that nothing was greater to him than his self-respect.

The experienced all-rounder said until the present board under the chairmanship of Ijaz Butt was in place he would not play international cricket.

"I will continue to play domestic and league cricket but not international cricket but it is not worth my while under this board which gave me no reason nor did it bother to hear me out before sacking me as captain," he said.

"I don't want to work with such disgraceful people. I don't know on what grounds they sacked me as captain. I worked hard on building up a broken team and turned it into a fighting combination. We played in the World Cup semifinal and yet they sacked me without hearing me out."

Afridi also claimed that there was a group of people belonging to the Punjab province in Lahore who had always been against him.

"This group has always kept on working against me. They are the ones who keep on filling the chairman's ears against me. Maybe they don't want me to play because I get in the way of their plans."

Afridi also claimed that as captain he was never consulted in selection of teams nor was he sure about his captaincy before a series until the last moment.

"This board never gave me a feeling of assurance that I would be captain. I would not know before a series until the last few days whether I was going to be captain and I can't continue to play under these circumstances."

Afridi also made it clear that he had spoken to some of his elders and seniors before taking his retirement decision and they supported him.

"I want to make it clear that till this board is there I will not play international cricket. When it goes and if people want me to play on I will consider a comeback," he added.

The retirement announcement came just a few days after the board chairman, Ijaz Butt had in a surprising move sacked the all-rounder as captain of the national limited overs team although Afridi had led the team to the World Cup semifinals and to a 3-2 win over the West Indies in the Caribbean.

It was after returning from the West Indies that Afridi ruffled the board feathers when he told the media that he didn't like people interfering in his work an obvious reference to an ongoing row with head coach, Waqar Younis over selection issues.

After issuing him a notice for speaking to the media on team issues in contravention of the players code of conduct the board while announcing the squad for the one-day series against Ireland replaced Afridi as captain with Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq who on Monday led Pakistan to a 2-0 win over Ireland.

Afridi after the sack also pulled out of the series against Ireland telling the board that he wanted to stay with his father who was under treatment in the United States.

Afridi defended his statement saying he had only spoken the truth and nothing else.

"I didn't speak against anyone nor did I criticize anyone by name. What I said was for betterment of team. But if they don't want me to speak the truth than I can't accept working with such people," he said.

"I didn't want any problems what I said was keeping in the benefits of the team. I can't continue to play under a board that does not respect senior players," he added.

Afridi had last year already retired from Test cricket after losing the first Test to Australia at Lords.

Afridi after his sacking also pulled out of the series against Ireland telling the board that he wanted to stay with his father who was under treatment in the United States.

But the all-rounder reached England from the US and on Monday made his retirement announcement from London.

Afridi who played 325 ODIs and 27 Tests told the channel that whatever he had said on returning home was in the better interests of the team.
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1st Test: England seize dramatic victory over Sri Lanka

CARDIFF: Chris Tremlett led England to a sensational victory as they defied the elements to beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 14 runs in the first Test at Sophia Gardens on Monday.

Sri Lanka were skittled out for just 82 in their second innings, with fast bowler Tremlett taking the first three wickets to fall on his way to a return of 4/40 in 10 overs on the final day.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann followed up with 4/16 in seven overs as Sri Lanka's dramatic collapse continued.

Stuart Broad finished off the match with two wickets in three balls, the tourists second innings ending in the 25th over in under two dramatic hours.

England's victory in their first Test since a 3-1 Ashes triumph on Australia was achieved despite rain, which fell throughout this match, washing out nearly a whole day's play in total.

And the win was achieved despite England being without James Anderson, who was ruled out from bowling in the remainder of this match on Saturday with a side strain.

Tremlett struck sixth ball to have Tharanga Paranavitana well caught low down at first slip by England captain Andrew Strauss.

But it was all the 6ft 7in Surrey paceman's own work when he caught and bowled Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan after a review confirmed the batsman had gloved a lifting delivery back to the bowler.

The experienced duo of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene hung around until tea.

But both former captains fell shortly afterwards.

The hostile Tremlett removed Jayawardene with the aid of a Strauss slip catch before Thilan Samaraweera played on to Swann for nought.

Sangakkara was then held by Strauss off Swann and 43/5 soon became 43/7.

Prasanna Jayawardene, who had defied England with a century in Sri Lanka's first innings 400, fell for just three when he was given out on review, after gloving an attempted hook off Tremlett through to wicket-keeper Matt Prior.

England then reduced Sri Lanka to 52/8 when Rangana Herath, swinging wildly, was lbw to Swann before Broad wrapped things up.

There seemed little chance of England forcing a victory after rain washed out the whole of Monday's morning session and prevented play from resuming until 3.00pm local time.

England then added just five runs to their overnight total.

Strauss declared on 496/5 as soon as Ian Bell, who resumed on 98, completed a 159-ball hundred featuring a six and 11 fours.

Bell's was the third century of an England innings that saw his Warwickshire team-mate Jonathan Trott score 203 and opener Alastair Cook 133.

England will now head to Strauss's Lord's home ground, where the second Test starts on Friday, 1-0 up in this three-match series.

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'Upul Tharanga in trouble without TUE'

NEW DELHI: There are indications Upul Tharanga's failure to produce a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) certificate, required for athletes before using substances like prednisolone which are banned under the WADA list, may land him in trouble.

The player faces a ban of up to two years since the International Cricket Council has confirmed that it will follow the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) regulations to the letter while investigating the issue. "As a matter of policy the ICC doesn't comment on on-going investigations. The ICC, though, is completely WADA complaint and we'll follow the procedure laid down by the world body," ICC spokesperson James Fitzgerald told TOI.

Tharanga, incidentally, was the only cricketer to fail a dope test during the World Cup.

Prednisolone is part of WADA's 'specified list' of banned drugs. A glucocorticosteroid, it is widely used for the treatment of inflammatory and auto-immune conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Bell's palsy and multiple scelorosis.

Athletes can use it after applying for a TUE from WADA, though the ICC has its own TUE commission comprising of six medical experts. The ICC also considers any TUE from a valid National Anti-Doping Agency. The ICC would have considered Tharanga's TUE if it was filed 30-days prior to the event, in this case the World Cup.

"A TUE is easily obtainable in India if an athlete has the required doctor's prescriptions with him. I am not quite aware of the Sri Lankan procedure but it is the athlete's folly for not seeking the TUE in time," NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar said, adding: "Prednisolone is a drug on the specified list, which means it doesn't carry any preliminary ban.

An athlete can ask for their 'B' sample and if that too comes out positive he will be subject to a hearing according to WADA rules. If the player is found guilty after the hearing he can be banned up to a maximum of two years. A panel will
take into account a player's argument before reaching a final decision."

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