Thaindian News

Karachi, Oct 13 (IANS) Under fire for his comments against team selection, Pakistan’s one-day captain Shahid Afridi said he will explain to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that he spoke out in the interest of the team.

“I would tell the board in my reply that I meant no harm,” The News quoted Afridi as saying Wednesday.

“I will tell them that my comments were aimed at ensuring that all of us can work together for the betterment of the team. I just wanted to make sure that all our efforts are in one direction. We need to be united to get back on the right track before next year’s World Cup,” he added.

The PCB’s decision to slap him with a notice could signal that his captaincy is in danger, but Afridi was not concerned.

“For me, the betterment of our team is more important than any other thing, including the captaincy,” he said.

Pakistan’s cricket chiefs Tuesday trained their guns on Afridi for questioning national selectors over the team selected for the upcoming series against South Africa.

Afridi had in a recent interview said that the national selection committee did not consult him while choosing the squad for the limited-overs series against the Proteas, which will start at Abu Dhabi from Oct 26.

The seasoned all-rounder also said that he wanted to get a few key players included in the squad, but they were ignored by the selectors.

Afridi, who is leading Karachi Dolphins in the ongoing National Twenty20 Cup in Lahore, received a letter from the PCB, warning him to refrain from commenting on selection matters.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s chief selector Mohsin Khan admitted at a hearing conducted by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports that Afridi and Pakistan coach Waqar Younis were not consulted before the team was finalised.

Mohsin, a former Pakistan Test opener, said that he was instructed by Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, to go ahead and decide the touring team for the series against South Africa.

At the hearing, Mohsin and Waqar exchanged hot words on the issue.