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Islamabad: Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi says he might retire from one-day internationals after the World Cup next year and just concentrate on Twenty20s.
Afridi quit Test cricket four years ago after playing just 27 test matches, but the hard-hitting allrounder is a regular member of the limited-overs teams.
He has played in three World Cups, and captained the team to the 2011 semifinals, after which differences with Pakistan Cricket Board officials made him quit the captaincy. Pakistan's most capped T20 player, Afridi was only two games shy of Inzamam-ul-Haq's national ODIs record of 375. (Afridi launches welfare website in Pakistan)
"The 2015 World Cup (in Australia and New Zealand) is important for two, three senior members of the team. I may retire after it and continue playing Twenty20 cricket," Afridi said on Friday in Lahore.
"I've always said that my cricket is attached with my fitness and performance, and I will take the final decision after seeing my performance in 2015." (Afridi hits back at sexism row)
The PCB has organized a one-month fitness camp in Lahore before announcing the central contracts, and Afridi said while he has attended lots of camps during his 18-year career, there's no doubt this camp will be very tough.
Afridi was in favor of performance-based central contracts, and said if someone performed throughout the year he should get the A-plus category, and if a senior player's contract was reduced due to performance, he should accept it.
He said he still wished to be captain again.
"It's (captaincy) not a bed of roses, it's an honor for a player," he said. (Shahid Afridi, the ugly duck-ling of ICC World T20)
"I've forgotten lots of things that happened in the past ... it's my wish (to be captain), and it should be every player's wish.
"I don't play to just survive in the team. Whatever cricket is left in me, I want to give it back to my country."
Waqar Younis reportedly had differences with Afridi when he resigned from coaching Pakistan in 2012. With Younis reappointed and starting next month, Afridi hoped what happened in the past will remain there, and said he was looking forward to working with him again. (PCB cacks whip on Afridi for World T20 comments)
"If Vicky (Younis' nickname) bhai (brother) or Shahid Afridi didn't learn from their mistakes we can't move forward," he said. "We should all forget it, and move forward for the good of the country."
Asked to comment on the recent turmoil in the PCB in which the chairmanship was handed back and forth between Najam Sethi and Zaka Ashraf by the courts, Afridi said, "Such things bring a bad name to cricket and the country. Cricket and cricketers should not suffer from such things, that's it."
Afridi also welcomed news that the PCB and India board reached an understanding to play six bilateral series from 2015-23, and lamented how Pakistan players were ignored by Indian teams in the Indian Premier League.
"You can't clap with one hand ... I don't think sport should be attached with politics," he said. "India is giving a negative message to the world, because everyone wants to see Pakistan players go and play in India."
Afridi quit Test cricket four years ago after playing just 27 test matches, but the hard-hitting allrounder is a regular member of the limited-overs teams.
He has played in three World Cups, and captained the team to the 2011 semifinals, after which differences with Pakistan Cricket Board officials made him quit the captaincy. Pakistan's most capped T20 player, Afridi was only two games shy of Inzamam-ul-Haq's national ODIs record of 375. (Afridi launches welfare website in Pakistan)
"The 2015 World Cup (in Australia and New Zealand) is important for two, three senior members of the team. I may retire after it and continue playing Twenty20 cricket," Afridi said on Friday in Lahore.
"I've always said that my cricket is attached with my fitness and performance, and I will take the final decision after seeing my performance in 2015." (Afridi hits back at sexism row)
The PCB has organized a one-month fitness camp in Lahore before announcing the central contracts, and Afridi said while he has attended lots of camps during his 18-year career, there's no doubt this camp will be very tough.
Afridi was in favor of performance-based central contracts, and said if someone performed throughout the year he should get the A-plus category, and if a senior player's contract was reduced due to performance, he should accept it.
He said he still wished to be captain again.
"It's (captaincy) not a bed of roses, it's an honor for a player," he said. (Shahid Afridi, the ugly duck-ling of ICC World T20)
"I've forgotten lots of things that happened in the past ... it's my wish (to be captain), and it should be every player's wish.
"I don't play to just survive in the team. Whatever cricket is left in me, I want to give it back to my country."
Waqar Younis reportedly had differences with Afridi when he resigned from coaching Pakistan in 2012. With Younis reappointed and starting next month, Afridi hoped what happened in the past will remain there, and said he was looking forward to working with him again. (PCB cacks whip on Afridi for World T20 comments)
"If Vicky (Younis' nickname) bhai (brother) or Shahid Afridi didn't learn from their mistakes we can't move forward," he said. "We should all forget it, and move forward for the good of the country."
Asked to comment on the recent turmoil in the PCB in which the chairmanship was handed back and forth between Najam Sethi and Zaka Ashraf by the courts, Afridi said, "Such things bring a bad name to cricket and the country. Cricket and cricketers should not suffer from such things, that's it."
Afridi also welcomed news that the PCB and India board reached an understanding to play six bilateral series from 2015-23, and lamented how Pakistan players were ignored by Indian teams in the Indian Premier League.
"You can't clap with one hand ... I don't think sport should be attached with politics," he said. "India is giving a negative message to the world, because everyone wants to see Pakistan players go and play in India."
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