KARACHI: An unusually fiery verbal altercation erupted between veteran cricketers Shahid Afridi and Javed Miandad on Sunday with both the former Pakistan captains accusing each other of being money-centric.

Lashing out at Miandad over his controversial rem­arks on the subject of Afridi’s farewell T20 International, the explosive all-rounder termed Miandad a man who was ‘always after money’.

“Money has always been an issue with Miandad. That is the difference between him and Imran Khan,” Afridi said during the launch of a book titled Cricket Corner.

Afridi, who last represented Pakistan in this year’s World T20 as skipper, was responding to a query by a reporter who quoted Miandad as saying ‘that Afridi wants a farewell match only for the money’.

In a late night Tweet, Afridi said though Miandad is a cricket legend but he has been attacking him (Afridi) personally for some time. “There is a limit to everything, Afridi said in the Tweet.

“I regret what I said to a senior [Miandad] but of course I had to eventually react to his behaviour.”

Recently, Miandad reportedly had criticised Afridi for urging the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to adjust him in the national T20 squad for a game so that he could earn some money from that match.

The matter of Afridi’s farewell match has been in the news ever since the veteran all-rounder said he deserved a farewell T20 International. Interestingly, the 36-year-old Afridi, who possesses a vast experience of 98 T20 Internationals besides having played a Pakistan record 398 ODIs before quitting the 50-over game after last year’s World Cup, had told the PCB that he would retire after this year’s World T20 (held in India in March-April). However, even after Pakistan faced an embarrassing first-round exit, Afridi — deviating from his earlier word — expressed his intention to continue to play T20 Internationals.

Miandad, a veteran of 124 Tests and 233 ODIs, reacted to Afridi’s outburst on Sunday by saying that the latter was no longer a superstar.

“Afridi is no longer in demand, which is why he is making such [unusual] remarks. As far as the difference between me and Imran is concerned, fans know more about it and they are the better judge,” Miandad said.

Later talking to a TV channel, Miandad said: “I would call, whatever Afridi has spoken, rubbish.”

FIXING CLAIM

Meanwhile, in a more serious reaction, Miandad claimed that Afridi had fixed matches in the past.

“I ask Afridi to swear [solemnly] that he didn’t sell Pakistan [reference to fixing international matches]; I’m the witness to it and I have even caught him [Afridi]. People like him are fixers. Money to me is nothing; had it not been the case, I wouldn’t have myself left the [national team],” Miandad, who retired after the 1996 World Cup, fumed while talking to a private TV channel.

On his part, Afridi during his talk with reporters said fans loved him a lot which was the biggest earning for him in his career, adding it didn’t matter whether or not he got a farewell T20 game.

He, however, says he will meet PCB executive committee chairman Najam Sethi (on the matter of farewell game), adding “I will see what the Board wants to do”.

Talking about his league cricket plans, Afridi said he was looking forward to featuring in the coming BPL, Pakistan Super League in addition to first-class cricket.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2016