Shahid Afridi Retires from Test Cricket!!

What a bombshell!  Just like the sixes Shahid Afridi

hits, this news coming out of nowhere, has completely

shell shocked the cricketing world.  Afridi has announced

that he will not play test cricket till after the 2007 World

Cup, and only concentrate on ODIs.

 

It appears that Shahid Afridi wants to take a break from

test cricket for the next year to prepare and be ready

for the upcoming 2007 cricket world cup.  No one can

really be sure as to the exact motivation for this,

but it does come right on the heels of Afridi being dropped

for the second test against Sri Lanka.  The last few tests

have been the best of his career, with over 800 runs coming

at over 45 an innings, with 3 100s and 4 50s.  Those are

enviable statistics by any measure.  Further, his bowling

has given Pakistan a valuable 3rd spin option with Shoaib

Malik and Kaneria, and some may contend, has kept

Pakistan from having to sacrifice batting for a true

spinning option.

 

This decision may just be about the fame and glory

to come in the upcoming World Cup, but it may also

be a permutation of the many twists and turns of Pakistani

cricket.  Only time will tell, but test cricket has lost

a major showman, and a potential superstar.