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Saturday, February 27, 2016, Falgun 15, 1422 BS, Jamadiul Awwal 17, 1437 Hijri


Afridi shuns retirement talks
Published :Saturday, 27 February, 2016,  Time : 12:00 AM  View Count : 14

Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi on Friday brushed aside his retirement talks to focus on the Asia Cup and next month's ICC World Twenty20 in India.
Pakistan are set for a cracker of a contest in their Asia Cup opener when they face arch-rivals India in Mirpur on Saturday. 
Last year Afridi announced his intention to retire from international cricket after the World T20, but in a recent interview with a leading cricket website he said he is facing a "lot of pressure" to change his mind. 
Aware that retirement talks could distract his team, Afridi, who turns 36 next week, said he was setting his sights on the Asia Cup and ICC World Twenty20.  
"I think for me the Asia Cup and the World Cup (World Twenty20) is more important than my retirement. I am focusing on that at the moment," Afridi told reporters at Fatullah, just outside the Bangladesh capital on Friday. 
Afridi scored just 38 runs in three matches against New Zealand in January and failed to shine with the bat against England in November. 
His performance had an impact on the results of Pakistan, who won just one of their last six Twenty20 internationals.  
Afridi said at the moment he was taking his bowling more seriously as the team's batting order does not allow him to play power-hitting innings at the top.      ?AFP










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