The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : ‘Afridi instigated me’

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‘Afridi instigated me’

Karachi: Temperamental fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Saturday blamed Shahid Afridi for the brawl with Mohammad Asif which led to his ouster from the Pakistan team for the Twenty20 cricket World Cup in South Africa.

“Shahid Afridi said things about my family which I could not tolerate. He made comments which cannot be called jokes,” Akhtar told a press conference in Lahore.

The mercurial pacer, who was sent back after hitting Asif with a bat, said he immediately apologised to his fellow pacer.

“After the incident, I went to Asif’s room and apologised. He is fine now and will play in the championship next week,” Shoaib said.

“Let me make it clear, I did not hit him intentionally. I am not an idiot to hit someone with a bat just like that. It was something which happened between Asif and me and we had sorted everything out. But once the reports started coming in media, the Board had to take some action,” he added.

The pace bowler said he was ready to face any disciplinary action that the Board might take against him.

“I respect the board’s decision to send me back,” he said.

Akhtar came down heavily on the media for sensationalising the incident and said he had been made a “villain”.

“The matter got carried away. This was actually a misunderstanding which was blown out of proportion. The media has contributed to the whole controversy. I have been made a villain,” he said.

“There is a lobby which has always been trying to malign me by selling negative news about me. I request you all to stop doing that. Stop spreading false propaganda against me, stop selling my name in the name of news,” Akhtar said.

Recalling the incident, Akhtar said he was called by the team management to explain his actions before being sent home.

The pacer claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had been supportive so far.

Meanwhile, Sohail Tanvir, an uncapped left-arm pacer, will replace Akhtar in the team.

Afridi denies charge

Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi denied provoking Shoaib Akhtar and claimed Mohammad Asif could have suffered more injuries, had he not stepped in to stop the brawl in Johannesburg.

After being recalled from South Africa from the Twenty20 World Cup, Akhtar alleged that Afridi was behind the brawl during which he hit Asif on his left thigh with a bat.

Afridi, however, strongly refuted the allegations and said he was surprised at the accusations made by Akhtar. — PTI

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