Sacking Afridi was in best interest of team: Butt
Unfazed by the criticism he is drawing for sacking Shahid Afridi as captain of Pakistan's ODI team, PCB chief Ijaz Butt said the decision was taken in the best interest of the side but refused to reveal the exact reasons for it.
Afridi was replaced by senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq for the tour of Ireland. "It is the board's right to change the captain and the decision was taken in the best interests of the team." Butt said in response to mounting criticism over his decision to sack Afridi as captain for the two-match series against Ireland later this month.
"Captains are changed all over the world and no cricket board gives a reason for that," he told the "Express Tribune" daily newspaper.
"We did what we thought was best and don't need to give a reason for it." He also defended his decision to appoint Misbah saying that lack of options in the squad forced the move.
"We're looking at everyone's performance and discipline and we're trying to pinpoint a suitable candidate for the captain's position for the future," he explained. Earlier in another interview, Butt said the board was working hard to bring back international cricket to Pakistan.
He said one of the main tasks before the board was to arrange a bilateral series with India in December this year.
No foreign team has toured Pakistan since March 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan side.
Butt, who met with interior minister Rehman Malik on Thursday in Islamabad to discuss arrangements for the coming series between Pakistan A and Afghanistan, said he asked the government to provide a security plan that would assist the PCB in its task of trying to revive international cricket in the country.
"We are making efforts to ensure the Afghanistan team is also provided with the best security and this series is a good exercise for us to try out new security plans for international teams," he stated
