Sacking Shahid Afridi big mistake: Wasim Akram

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for appointing Misbah-ul-Haq as ODI skipper, saying the 36-year old has no future.

Akram is upset after the PCB sacked Shahid Afridi as the country?s ODI skipper.

“It was wrong to sack Afridi, who has recently brought glory to the country against all odds,” Akram was quoted as saying by ESPN Mobile.

The PCB discarded the maverick Afridi as Pakistan’s ODI captain after reports of his rift with coach Waqar Younis became public. The two clashed over selection matters during the ongoing series with the West Indies.

“Arguments between captains and coaches are not new in Pakistan cricket. Afridi was hailed as a national hero after the World Cup, and came back from the West Indies after winning the ODI series only to find out he has been sacked. What is the PCB upto?” said Akram,

Akram has questioned the Board’s decision to appoint Misbah as ODI skipper. He feels the 36-year-old middle order batsman is “at best a stop-gap arrangement.”

“The present Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is on the wrong side of 30 and I don’t see him leading the side beyond 6 to 8 months”, said Akram.

“It is a wrong step taken by PCB, and only (chairman) Ijaz Butt is to be blamed for this”, Akram said.

“In Pakistan, the coach wants all the power and when it doesn’t happen, the fight begins,” Akram said.