KARACHI - Pakistan's disgruntled former captain Shahid Afridi said
on Wednesday he wants to make an international comeback, but insisted
that certain members of the national team management would first have
to leave.
Last week the talismanic all-rounder appeared to have
ended an ugly public spat with the Pakistan Cricket Board which
followed his sudden retirement from the international game after he was
dumped as one-day captain.
"I am not finished. I will come back
in the team with respect but for that I will wait for the situation to
improve and some people to be removed from the team management," Afridi
said before leaving for England.
The all-rounder will play for
Hampshire in England's Twenty20 tournament after the Pakistan Cricket
Board (PCB) reinstated his approval to play abroad -- permission it had
previously withdrawn.
The 31-year-old denied money was his only motive for playing county cricket abroad.
"To
play for Pakistan has always been my priority," said Afridi, who still
holds the world record for the fastest one-day hundred -- scored off
just 37 balls against Sri Lanka in 1996.
"I get more money
playing for Pakistan than in a county match, but money has never been
my priority. I will come back but only if the situation improves."
Earlier
this month, the PCB suspended Afridi's central contract and revoked
permission from him to play abroad after he violated the terms of that
contract by criticising the board and announcing his retirement.
Afridi
filed a petition against the sanctions but the matter was later settled
out of the court. A PCB disciplinary committee fined Afridi $53,000 but
his permission to play abroad was reinstated.
The row began when
Afridi developed differences with coach Waqar Younis over the team
selection during Pakistan's 3-2 win in the one-day series against the
West Indies last month.
He publicly criticised Waqar and was dismissed as one-day captain.
Afridi refused to put a date on his return to the national team.
"I
will wait for the right time to come," said Afridi, hinting at the
completion of PCB chairman Ijaz Butt's three-year tenure in October.
"Everyone knows why I have resigned so there's no use repeating it and I will not rescind that decision.
"I
won a series in the West Indies, but was removed without any solid
reason and that increased my apprehensions because my father was also
seriously ill during that time," said Afridi. AFP
