Former cricketing stalwart Shahid Afridi has noted that his colleague Waqar Younis was a “mediocre captain and terrible coach” who couldn’t hold the team together.
“Waqar and I had a history, dating all the way back to his tiff with Wasim [Akram] over the captaincy crown. He was a mediocre captain but a terrible coach, always micromanaging and getting in the way, trying to tell the captain – me – what to do… It was a natural clash and it was bound to happen,” Afridi said in his memoir “Game Changer”, co-written with journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan.
The former skipper also revealed some other never-shared-before details about his personal and cricketing life.
AFRIDI’S REAL AGE:
The former captain revealed that he was 19 years old when he debuted for Pakistan, however, his documented age was 16.
“I was just nineteen, and not sixteen like they claim. I was born in 1975. So, yes, the authorities stated my age incorrectly.”
2010 SPOT-FIXING SCANDAL:
Regarding the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, Afridi revealed he already knew it was going to happen. Despite informing the Manager Yawar Saeed, no action was taken. Team management was either non-serious or worried and this prompted him to give up the captaincy.
Salman Butt was appointed in his place.
ABOUT JAVED MIANDAD:
Boom Boom called Miandad a legend but a “small man”. He said that Miandad hated his batting style. After scoring a test century in India, he was asked to praise Miandad at the presentation ceremony, Afridi claims.
Moreover, he wasn’t allowed to practice with the team ahead of the match in Chennai as Miandad wanted to field Asif Mujtaba.
GAUTAM GAMBHIR:
The book has also made its way to Indian press owing to certain comments regarding cricketers of the neighbouring country.
Slamming former India opener Gautam Gambhir, Afridi termed him as someone who has no personality and has a lot of attitude.
“Some rivalries were personal, some professional. First the curious case of Gambhir. Oh, poor Gautam. He and his attitude problem. He has no personality. He who is barely a character in the great scheme of cricket. He who has no great records just a lot of attitude,” Afridi said.
