Javed Miandad made "personal attacks", claims Shahid Afridi
The Pakistan cricket board and the Pakistan cricket team have always been on the wrong side of the pitch. Whether it is an issue on the field or off it, there seems to be no respite to the controversy. The latest in this long-standing affair is the verbal spat between Shahid Afridi and Javed Miandad.
The issue sparked off when Miandad accused that Afridi wanted a farewell match only for money. Afridi quit from the ODIs last year after the 2015 World Cup in Australia and last month, Afridi had asked the Pakistan cricket board for a farewell match so that he could retire from the international arena in a befitting manner.
In fact, while talking to a local news channel he said, “A farewell match is my right.”
Also read: No farewell for Shahid Afridi in an international match, says PCB selector Aamir Sohail
Afridi was present at a book launch ceremony of sports journalist Saleem Khaliq in Karachi on Sunday. While talking to the journalists, he lashed back at Miandad. “Money has always been an issue for Miandad. It doesn’t suit a legendary cricketer like him to pass such irresponsible comments,” Afridi was quoted as saying in Dawn.
The issue didn't end there, though, as Miandad responded on Sunday. Going one step further, he accused Afridi of fixing matches and selling the Pakistan team. He claimed that the entire team had fixers.
While talking to a local TV channel in Pakistan he said, "I tell Afridi to swear upon his children and say he has not thrown away Pakistan's matches. I am a witness, I caught him myself."
"If there was money, I would not have left the team. I caught match-fixers in the whole team. Right? These people are fixers. And then they talk about money," the Pakistan batting legend was quoted as saying by Dawn.
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Afridi didn't continue the war of words, as he later took to Twitter and said that he regretted what he said to a senior batsman but had to respond to what Miandad had said. He also said that he had tolerated the legend's words against him for a long time but this time he had crossed the line.
It is reported that the all-rounder is all set to sue Miandad after the latter levelled allegations of match-fixing against the former T20I captain. He is supposedly going through the videos in which Miandad had made all the allegations.
"Afridi and his lawyer are watching clips of Miandad and his allegation thoroughly, and will be sending the required legal notice on October 13 as the offices remain close on 9th and 10th of Muharram," a source said.
This issue seems far from resolved.