Afridi to quit after Twenty20 World Cup

AFP/LahorePakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi yesterday announced he would retire from Twenty20 cricket next year, ending a colourful international career which earned him unmatched popularity in his homeland. The 35-year-old retired from one-day cricket after last month’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand where Pakistan reached the final eight, but said he would continue to play the shortest form of the game. “I will retire from Twenty20 cricket after next year’s World Twenty20,” Afridi, who left Test cricket in 2010, told reporters. “I will continue to play county in England and a few Twenty20 leagues but my international career will end next year.” India host the sixth edition of the World Twenty20 in March-April next year, where Afridi said he hoped to leave on a high. “I want to finish my career with pleasant memories and had never thought I will play for Pakistan for so long,” said Afridi. Surprisingly inducted at the young age of 16, Afridi made headlines around the world when he smashed a 37-ball hundred in only his second one-day international, against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996, setting a world record. The record stood until last year when it broken by New Zealand’s Corey Anderson with a 36-ball hundred and then bettered by South Africa’s AB de Villiers who raced to a century off just 31 balls, against the West Indies in January this year. Afridi, known for his madcap approach to batting, his skillful leg-breaks and good looks, maintains the world record for most sixes: 453 across all formats of the game. He was appointed Twenty20 captain last year, having earlier led Pakistan in one-day internationals and Tests as well. He scored 8,064 runs in 398 one-day internationals but fell just five short of 400 wickets.Pakistan announce Zimbabwe tour itineraryPakistan yesterday announced the itinerary for Zimbabwe’s proposed tour next month where they are set to become the first Test playing nation to visit the militancy-hit South Asian country in six years. All five matches—two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals—are to be played in the eastern city of Lahore after Cricket Zimbabwe (CZ) refused to play in Karachi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said CZ had told the International Cricket Council (ICC) it would visit Pakistan between May 19 and June 1. “I am grateful to my counterpart in CZ, Wilson Manase, for acceding to our request of sending a full side on a tour to Pakistan,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said in a statement. “This would be an auspicious moment for Pakistan cricket and I am positive that it would open doors of international cricket in Pakistan.  “I am indeed confident that Zimbabwe’s incident-free tour shall be the harbinger of more and more associate and full member nations visiting us in the months and years to come,” he added. A Zimbabwean security team is set to come to inspect security arrangements in Lahore on May 4, the statement said. Pakistan hopes the series will encourage other international teams to visit Pakistan.  Major sides have avoided the country since militants attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March 2009, killing eight people and injuring seven visiting players. Bangladesh have backed out twice after initially agreeing to tour, citing security fears, though Pakistan have managed to host minor teams Afghanistan and Kenya. ITINERARY May 19: Team Zimbabwe arrive May 22: First Twenty20 international May 24: Second Twenty20 international May 26: First one-day May 29: Second one-day May 31: Third one-day  June 01: Team Zimbabwe departsWhatmore commits to ZimbabweDav Whatmore has signed a four-year contract to coach Zimbabwe, the country’s cricket board said yesterday. “We signed a contract yesterday which is going to be a four-year deal,” Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase said in a press conference. Whatmore was unveiled as coach in December on a short-term deal till the end of the World Cup. Manase praised the performance of the team in Australia and New Zealand, where they won one of their six matches but were competitive against the top-ranked nations.