Dashing all-rounder Shahid Afridi said Wednesday he will skip most of the lucrative Bangladesh league in order to play Pakistan's limited overs series against England. The 31-year-old hard hitting batsman and skilled leg-spinner was signed for $70,000 - the highest salary offered to any international player in next month's league - but the fixtures coincide with Pakistan's matches.
"The Bangladesh league clashes with our One-day and T20 series against England and for me national duty has always remained the top priority because Pakistan has given me a lot," Afridi told reporters. Afridi is known for his world record fastest One-day hundred, which he made off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1997.
"I want to play for Pakistan because my team needs me and we want to keep the winning sequence intact," he said. Pakistan remained unbeaten in One-day series since losing 3-2 to South Africa in November 2010. "I have not as yet made up my mind when to call it quits. But certainly one thing I have decided is that I want to retire when I am performing well so that people remember me positively," he said.
"I think I still have a lot to offer to Pakistan cricket. I will retire when I feel I am at the peak of the career and have also contributed to Pakistan cricket as other legends of Pakistan cricket have done. "I want to be remembered like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad or Wasim Akram are remembered today. And my ambition remains to reach a consistent scale of performance as these legends did in their careers." Pakistan will announce the limited overs squad for the England series next month.
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