Star all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Saturday deplored the awful state of sports in Sindh province of Pakistan. "Had Benazir Bhutto (two-time prime minister from Sindh) been alive, she would have taken notice of the state of sports in the province," said Afridi while speaking at an event hosted by Sports Journalists Association in Karachi. "I requested the Sindh government to allocate land for building a cricket academy in Karachi. But my request was denied," he said.

Responding to a question, Afridi said that Imran Khan was the best Pakistani captain. "Misbah ul Haq led the Test team well in difficult times," he added. Afridi announced that he would represent English country Hampshire in the next season. "I will continue to play private leagues and country cricket," he said. The all-rounder said that despite difficult pitch, Pakistan should have won the second Test match against West Indies. "Ahmed Shehzad is like a younger brother to me. I have always asked him to play his natural game. If he plays his natural game, he will do well for himself as well as for Pakistan. Otherwise, he will continue to struggle," he opined. To a question, he said that he never shied away from media. "Had I been a coward, I would not have accepted responsibility for Pakistan's dismal show in the world cup," he remarked.

Copyright News Network International, 2017