Won’t Play in IPL Even If They Invite Me, Says Shahid Afridi
Fresh from his stint with Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi allegedly boasted that he wouldn’t play in the Indian Premier League even if invited to play for any of its eight teams.
The claims were reported by Saj Sadiq, the editor of pakistanpassion.net. In a tweet to his 89 thousand Twitter followers, Sadiq quoted Afridi as saying that he has been enjoying his time at the PSL and the league would overtake IPL in the future.
“Even if they call me, I won’t go to the IPL. My PSL is the biggest and there will be a time that it leaves the IPL behind. I am enjoying the PSL, I don’t have any need for the IPL. I’m not interested in it and never was,” Afridi was quoted as saying.
Surprisingly, Afridi had earlier hailed the Indian Premier League and was himself part of the Deccan Chargers franchise in the inaugural edition of the league.
“Although I played just once in the IPL but it is easily the biggest league you can play in and I enjoyed my experience. The IPL is clearly the best organised foreign league and it was a totally different experience playing in it,” Afridi had said earlier.
Recently, Afridi courted controversy for his comments on Kashmir.
“Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self-determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren’t they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?” Afridi had said in a tweet.
He was criticised by several Indian cricket players, including Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli.
Speaking on the backlash his tweet has received, Afridi was quoted by Sadiq as saying, “I’m not worried about the response to my tweet from some. I believe I spoke the truth and I have the right to speak the truth.”
Afridi also said he would have become a soldier had he not taken up cricket. “I am a soldier of my country. My country is my honour and Pakistan is everything for me,” he was quoted as saying.
Courtesy : indianexpress
