Shahid Afridi finds captaincy query ghatia, storms off press meet

Karachi: A miffed Pakistan Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday abandoned a press conference midway in Lahore after he had a verbal spat with a reporter leading to a partial protest by the media demanding an apology from the flamboyant all-rounder.

The mediapersons raised slogans against Afridi outside the dressing room at the Gaddafi stadium before a practice match after the spat took place earlier in a press conference addressed by the senior cricketer.

The ugly incident sparked off after a reporter of a television channel asked Afridi what he planned to do as a captain to win the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 since his record as a leader was very poor.

“Your record has not been as impressive as previous Pakistan Twenty20 captains, do you think there is a need to change the way you are leading the side?” the reporter asked Afridi.

Afridi smiled and then let loose: “I expected you to ask such a ghatia (pathetic and low) question.” He then left the press briefing, prompting the reporters to protest against his behaviour.

The media later protested loudly against Afridi outside the dressing room demanding an apology from him before team manager Intikhab Alam came out and pacified them.

When asked, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said: “These are matters that can be sorted out and I don't think we need to dwell into them more.” 

Earlier, Afridi had told reporters that he had backed Mohammad Amir only because he felt the youngster was telling the truth and had now reformed himself after the spot-fixing scandal of 2010.

“I backed Amir because early on he came to me and admitted his mistake and apologised. Then all these years he kept quiet and performed when he got a chance so he deserved a second chance,” Afridi said.

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