Shahid Afridi Contemplating Prolonging International Career

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Shahid Afridi is considering prolonging his international T20 career . Image Source : inshorts.com

Internet Desk : Pakistan’s T20 captain Shahid Afridi is contemplating prolonging his international career . The diminutive all-rounder has earlier expressed his desire to call it a day from international cricket after the end of forthcoming World T20 in India . In a recent interview to The National , Afridi raised the possibility that the World Twenty20 may not be his last international hurrah. Afridi will lead Pakistan’s campaign in India next month and last year had said it would be his final challenge in international cricket.

Afridi does have a history of changing his earlier decision and the news may not come as a shock . In 2006, he retired from Test cricket, only to return for one Test in 2010 and then retire again immediately after it. In 2011, after a dispute with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) he retired in protest from international cricket, only to eventually “withdraw” the retirement after a leadership change in the board.

He retired from 50-over cricket after last year’s World Cup in Australia  and soon after said that he was seeking a “happy ending” to a 20-year international career at the World Twenty20.

But growing pressure from friends and associates to continue playing after the event has forced him to think otherwise .

“I have come to a point in my life where before I leave this [World Twenty20] is a very big challenge for me,” he said.

“I should also take the opportunity to reveal that for a while now there is a lot of pressure from my family, a lot of pressure from my friends including my elders who say there is no need for me to retire from Twenty20. That is a huge pressure.”

He did not elaborate on the nature of this pressure.

He also expressed his desire to continue playing domestic T20 leagues around the world once he retires from international stage.

Pakistan’s recent form in the format also have played a part in Boom Boom Afridi’s consideration. Asked specifically whether he was reversing his earlier decision, he said: “I’m not saying that. I am saying there is a lot of pressure on me that I shouldn’t retire from T20s. That you can play on, and as such there is no real talent coming through in Pakistan whose place I am taking. For now, in truth, I am focusing only on the World Twenty20. That is a huge challenge for me.

“After it [the World Twenty20] … First I want to see where Pakistan stand. [Then] whether I am capable of taking the team forward on the back of my performances. I want to check where I am standing myself,” Afridi said.

Afridi is a World Twenty20 winner, having helped Pakistan win the title in 2009, making half-centuries in the semi-final and final. He has played in all five editions so far and is both the most-capped T20 international and its leading wicket-taker