Absence of Pakistan players in IPL hurts Indian cricket's image: Shahid Afridi

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has said that the BCCI’s decision to not allow his country’s players to be a part of the Indian Premier League has only affected the image of Indian cricket.

Afridi said: "It is a setback for Pakistani players but overall it is the image of Indian cricket that has suffered because of this policy. I have always said that not only through politics but even through cricket, relations between the two countries can improve a lot."

Pakistan cricketers are banned from the IPL due to the strained political relationships between the two countries. After the first edition of the IPL in 2008, none of the Pakistan players have managed to play an IPL game despite expressing their desire to do so on a number of occasions.

When asked about his retirement, he said: "I will take a decision than on what to do after looking at my fitness and performances. But there is no doubt that this World Cup is of great importance and significance for senior players like myself."

"Maybe after the World Cup I might decide to just focus on playing T20 cricket," Afridi added.

The 34-year-old has represented Pakistan in 378 ODIs, 74 T20Is and 27 Tests and has been a match-winner for his team with both the ball and the bat.