Abdul Qadir says aging Afridi no longer fit for top level cri

LAHORE: Abdul Qadir has advised flamboyant Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi to say goodbye to cricket and slammed Umar Akmal, saying he lost his place in the national team because of his own mistakes.Qadir, known for his candid comments, said at a function in Lahore that Afridi had aged and was no longer fit for top level cricket.”I don’t think cricket is any longer the forte of Afridi and he should say goodbye,” Qadir said.He also didn’t mince any words on the exclusion of batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and his son-in-law Umar Akmal from the list of probables for the tour to England.”To me Shehzad is simply more of an actor than a cricketer while Umar Akmal has lost his place in the team because of his own mistakes,” he added.Umar, who is married to Qadir’s daughter, has in recent months been at the centre of controversies raising questions over his commitment to the game.Qadir also slammed the culture of favoritism and nepotism in Pakistan sports. “This culture has destroyed the fabrics of our sports and particularly cricket. In every department in the Pakistan cricket board they are people who have been appointed because of favoritism and nepotism.Najam Sethi who heads the executive committee also came in because of the prime minister,” Qadir said.He said the PCB was wasting its time searching for a foreign coach. “And if they still want to have a foreign coach I don’t think there is a better choice than Sir Viv Richards who is also interested in Pakistan cricket.”