Afridi, like any good spinner, is maturing with age and the spin option he offers means that he has more than one reason to be in the team. Pakistan should back him for the World Cup as a bowling allrounder with the ability to turn a match on its head with bat and sometimes ball. The wickets in West Indies should suit him.

The World Cup is rapidly opening up with Australia's blip in form. Pakistan have a real chance if all their main players are fit and available. Afridi is a vital element of Pakistan's attack force, and with the current strategy of batting right down to number nine or ten Afridi has greater licence to free his mind and swing.

If the PCB and Afridi have any sense they will accept the punishment, forget about an appeal, and get Mr Boom Boom ready for the Caribbean.

Afridi incident is a sad thing that happened, I am not trying to say that the punishment is wrong. he should be punished but banning for four ODI's looks a bit harsh perticularly at a time when the world cup is just next month. Afridi should also have known this, his action was not justified and may well cost Pakistan heavily, I wonder when would our cricketers learn to behave sensibly. When you are there representing your country, you must behave properly and as a true ambassadors of your country. The incident really is an unfortunate one, Shahid needs to be reprimanded for this, not only by ICC but we at the PCB should also take some action. I like him as a player and believe that he should always be in our ODI out fits for he is a cricketer of immense value to pakistan, be it bowling, fielding and/or batting. I hope and pray that the ban is reduced some how or the other and may he play in the World Cup as we do need him to be with the team in the Carrabians.

I think you are absolutely right. The punishment handed over to Afridi is fully justified. I also agree that he can play an important part in the World Cup campaign as the wickets in the Caribbean will suit his batting as well as bowling, and on his day, he can change the course of the game in the matter of few overs. As Pakistan is expected to make it to the second round, Afridi should be included in the team depsite of missing the early two games. As for PCB, I agree with earlier comment that an action should be taken by the PCB, may be in the form of monetary fine for such irresposible behavior.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Punish the stupid spectators, not the players. They are only human and will react when they are pushed. It is so typical that the ICC and CSA only try and treat the symptons and not the cause. What's next? Playing behind fences like they play football in Argentina? I remember when you could go and play on the field during the lunch or dinner break, and it was not that long ago.

STOP SELLING ALCOHOL at the matches and you will see the behavious improve. But money is more important.

The ICC better wake up real quick or else cricket will die a slow, and painful death.

A very, very hard pill to swallow this, Kamran Bhai, wait...gulp! Am really dissappointed but this was inevitable. Afridi's actions were easily justifiably wrong. Zama Pukhtoon ror dae kana! Anyhow, very upsetting for me personally, but it would be great if the two warm-up games are official, lets hope for that!! But I agree with your notion that it is time now just to forget about it, they really shouldn't be contemplating an appeal, that would make matters only worse! But honestly, Mr. Speed -I really don't know what to say about him. What's next after this and Samuels issue? Oh! must be thinking of the way to ban Murli...HmMmMmmmmmmmMm...

In my opinion Afridi should appeal against the ban and continue to play rest of the 2 odis against South Africa. I believe the current series is more important that first round of world cup where ever body knows which 8 teams are going to the super 8, after all pakistan can beat two minows in their pool without afridi and go to the next round. Pakistan has a golden chance in the current series to beat africa in africa and they shouldnt loose afridi who recently has rediscovered his lost form and he better continue playing the current series as an inform player.

Does anyone know FOR SURE if the warm-up matches count as official games. If they are official, then surely they count as part of the ban. Kamran, you are normally very precise and clear, but you seem to state something in this article ('which luckily begins with two official World Cup warm-up matches') and then cast it in doubt ('if the warm-up matches count'). What's going on?

Does anyone know?

You know, I just realised that wishing Pakistan won't contemplate on appealing, may just turn out to be wishful thinking. They might want to have Richie Benaurd hooked up to the video conference, just like Gibbs! Umm, but I seriously hope not, PCB should ADD him to the squad! And just let this be!

I think the ban is unfair. When Gibs was banned, he was banned from Test matches and one day matches. The ban should've been 2 one day matches and one Test match the same way Gibs got banned. The touch of racism continues towards the South Asian countries.

I hope this would fire him up. He has to be their for the worldcup.

guys !... Relax.. i tell u what its really good that afridi got punishment..it will increase pakistan chances in world cup.. because i am sure that for next 4-6 matched he will not perform.:)..looking at his average so cheer up

whatever afridi did was unacceptable but still i believe that the punishment is too harsh. The game was not put into disrepute. The incident happened outside the boundary line so there was no way it effected the game of cricket. The charges gainst afridi are totally wrong. He should be charged for misbehaviour against the spectator. The punishment should be the fine not the ban. Afridi offence was entirely different to Inzimam's. Inzi's incident happened on the field and it was the game that was disrupted. In Afridi's case the game went on so that is why it is harsh. I compared Afridi incident with Inzi as both got the same charges and same kind of ban.

I think Afridi's ban is not that bad and sitting out the remainder of this ODI series and the couple of warm up matches which should have ODi status(if not why are the Associates playing so much ODIs ?)will have him available for the crunch match of the group against WI..and save him from injury ....they all seem injury prone !!...He's been playing too long to know that bandishing his bat a la Inzi is wrong forgetting what is the provocation.....

There's no doubt that Afridi deserves the ban for his immature behaviour, but the timing of the whole issue is unfortunate. Just when we all thought that Afridi was clicking again, we will be deprived of his services, no matter how long or should I say short they may be !

Yes its sad to hear that Afridi will miss four ODIs. I will agree that what he did was not a professional act and he should have ignore that. But i would say, that if the Officials gave him a little more funishment. The reasonable punishment would be two ODIs ban to realize him the mistake. It is true that Afridi is a very entertaining cricketer and should have been given the chance to paly in the World Cup from the very begining. The given punishment will disappoint a lot of his fans and country fellows. Secondly, in the begining they said that he has been ingnored for his act, but when he performed good in the second match then they took the action which is a little un professional. I would finish with the following urdu sher.
Hum Ahh bhi karthee hain thu ho jaathee hain badnaam............
Woo qath bhi karthee hain thu charcha nahi hotha......

I did not get top watch the incident but as with Gibbs, no matter how provoked you are, there are certain rules set for making a complaint and Afridi should have followed those. He is a senior cricketer and should now have enough composure about him to restrain his anger. The current Pak team under Inzamam is quite overtly religious including Afridi and controlling your anger is a virtue taught by Islam .Not follwing the religious teachings has brought him to this level. All cheers for Broad for his sensible decision especially in light of this article.

what happens to the spectator? im sorry but if someones swearing in your face or being abusive, then a man should have the right to do what his natural instincts demand... i wouldve done the same thing as afridi (my aim is slightly better!!). we are an agressive playing nation and if spectators want to get thier two pennies worth in, especially in australia and south africa, they should be made aware that we wear the green pajamas and not the baby blue ones. Since the whole situation was ignited by the spectator, he should be fined.

Agree with your opinion. Interject Hafeez here in the line up with Imram Nazir and move Akmal down below ahead of Razzak. Saving Boom Boom for the world cup is more important.

Afridi is a good player but missing the first couple of world cup matches doesn't affect Pak team as much . this is because they are playing against West Indies and Ireland and Pakistan should win those matches with or without Afridi. as long as Afridi is back before the end of the group stage matches the situation should be OK.

Pakistani, Indian and sir Lankan were always verbally abused coming out and going back into the dressing rooms this incident is not new but the difference now is that most of the guys understand English, and then likes of Afridi and others like him will not just pass through and ignore them. These things will happen again and again, it is a responsibility of the respective boards to make sure the players safety. Problem lays with our boards if we have put our spectators yards away in our grounds then why not ask them the same thing before you send out your teams to play in these countries. I guess any one can buy a ticket to the stadium and do the same, why get him out in one match why not 4 or 8 it will be repeated may be next time there will be a different player.

Hmmm ..I thnK the Punishment was right ..wAt he did ...It was STupId ... But WE Still need him for the WOrld cUp....AS Mr kAmrAn said dat If the warm up matches will count dan he will b available ....SO If it dOesn't COunt dAn he Will b available To pak for second round matches....I hoPe dat INSHALLAH he will b at his best and he will do his best
AFRIDI ROCKS!!!!!

Why are we playing Rana again -- look at his dissmal record - Have that done by Sami -- we would have made him sit out for 5 games and ask him to perform - What kinda bias team judgement is it? I'm so sick of it -- first Mr Anjum preferred over Sami and now Rana Naved - WTF

I just couldn't understand why Pak players do not behave like they should - both on and off the field. Afridi is yet another example of utterly irresponsible attitude from Pak players. Primarily, it’s because of lack of basic education amongst Pakistani players, especially after the Imran Khan's era. Almost all of Pak players in post-Imran era come from humble background with little or no education. They lack mannerism and common sense, which is not so common in this part of the world.

Showing the bat to a spectator in a threatening manner is completely inexcusable - no matter what the spectator has said to you. Spectators should also behave gently but then they are not superstars and nobody in the world cares about their actions and deeds. It’s the players, especially superstars like Afridi whose action are followed religiously by millions of fans. And these kind of ill-mannered actions also deliver negative impact on the brains of those millions of kids who love Afridi. They’ll follow the suit. So Mr. Afridi behave yourself for the good of Pak cricket and Pakistan’s image abroad. And the other Pak cricketers, especially Shoaib Akhtar too.

And no one should try to say that this punishment was handed over to Afridi due to any kind of bias from the ICC ranks towards Asian nations. If so then what’d you say about Gibbs episode? We should correct our wrongdoings in spite of blaming others for our own failures.

Along with trying to improve their technique and temperament, PCB should also hire a tutor for Pak players who should be responsible for teaching them the basics of mannerism. Just look at the way Inzi speaks English! Rubbish. Speaking fluent English is not mandatory for an international cricketer but after gaining international exposure of more than a decade and half, one should speak it bit correctly. OK you can't do that then you shouldn't speak it altogether and you better comment in Urdu and left the translation job with organizers.

Mr. Kamran Abbasi, I don’t think that two warm-up matches prior to the Pakistan’s clash with Windies in the inaugural match of the world cup carry the status of official ODIs. If they are then please confirm it somewhere here. In my opinion, Afridi’ll be available to Pakistan in their last first stage match against Zimbabwe on 21st of March. It means more headaches for the selectors who are already busy in counting the players with injuries and fitness problems. Afridi should’ve given his infamous action a second thought. But thought process takes place in brain.....

The real world cup will start after the group matches in the super eight.And Pakistan's first match against WestIndies is not a cruical match.Pakistan can afford to lose that match as Pakistan will easily go to later stages by beating Ireland and Zimbabwe.So absence of Afridi will not hurt Pakistan much in the world cup.I hope that Afridi will learn from his mistake and not do anything like that in the future.

I think four matches is too short. I saw what happened and he didn't do anything wrong but I don't think he should play. He should have been dropped before. But the ban was harsh.

I was surprised that neither of the umpires made an effort to report to the ICC match refree, Afridi's condcut was definitely uncalled for and had the bat hit the spectator (weather it was afridi's intention or not in not th point), it would have been a negative impact and things like this at times could even involve the diplomatic relations between two countries, an ambassador of a country acting like this against a local is not an issue that can be swept under the carpet. So the punishment was fair and square and PCB would do well to accept it and move on.
Ass far as is inclusion is concerned, afridi has to be a part of pakistan's world cup squad, not just his batting, but in my opinion it's his bowling can prove to be match winning in most games. He developed enough variations to remain a threat to the opposition. It will be a huge mistake if Pakistan chooses to leave afridi behind.

yes, The way forward is to forget about appealing the ban and get ready for World Cup. Afridi acted irresponsibly and the player is responsible for the consequences of his actions. His actions were against sportsmanship. I still think the ban is harsh but in current circumstances Pakistan doesnt have many option. For the rest of the SA series, i would like to see Abdul Rehman IN the squad. Lets see what the PAK think tank decides.

Afridi incident came at a wrong time, but it shows his non-professionialism, he should have controlled his anger. His punishment is a lesson for other team-mates. I think AFRIDI & PCB should accept the punishment, and move on with the things.

afiridi shouldnt appeal as it would spell bad as if he misses these two match and few first round matches of the world cup it wont make a difference

I think there is a deeper issue here. The south african public are getting away with so much. There has been so much controversy surrounding the south african team and it stems from its racist aparteid days. The South africans need to reassess how close they allow their fans to the players. Two incidents have occured in this contentious series.

When is the ICC finally going to ban the leader of provocation a certain MR NEL. He is setting a poor example to children every where with the way he talks to his opponents. The south Africans and the Australians are relentless when it comes to sledging and yet they get away with it.

Don't you worry payback is a bitch and these teams will need to remember that when they come back to the UK.

Completely agree with you. We need Afridi for the world cup. He is a match winner, and provides confidence for our team.

His bowling this series has been very useful.

But why did it take the ICC so long to come to this decision?

At first they were saying, no action would be taken, since no one complained about it.

Once again ICC's Malcolm Speed has shown his bias towards Pakistan and Asian countries. Remember he tried to back Darryl Hair right to the last and failed. Afridi was just trying to bluff to the spectator involved, never trying to hurt him and thats why the incident was not reported by the umpires or the match referee.

ICC should sack its Chief Executive for continuous crisis in umpiring standards and overall mismanagement and appoint somebody professionally involved with cricket as a test/odi player and later on as an official.

afridi is best he is diamond of pakistan team chris broad taken dision is bad.shahid khan afridi also played world cup 2007

I just wish that the two warm-up matches are official. But there is one thing i want to say, that is this notion is again and again striking me that this action was taken just because of afridi being an asian. What the hell has malcolm speed has to do with an individual on-field behaviour if the match referees and the teams have no concern for it at all. Believe me if it were some australian or england player no action would have been taken. Jack kallis, andre nell always sledge voilently and out of control and nothing happens to them. Everything needs to be fair.

Shahid Afridi is a multi-dimensional player. Good fielder, nice bowler and unpredictable batsman. His bowling was decisive in second ODI. Even in first ODI, his bowling was extra-ordinary considering South African onslaught.
Its a loss for Pakistan with Afridi not playing.
In my opinion, Afridi should bat is slog overs.
Muhammad Zubair

I agree...forget about appealing, as this will only delay any ODI ban, which would thus result in Afridi being unavailable for 4 World Cup matches, rather than 2.

The first two games in the World Cup without Afridi will most likely benefit Pakistan in the long run. You ask how? Well with all the injuries Pakistan have i.e. Gul, Akhtar etc It will give Pakistan the oppurtunity to give some much needed match practice in the CORRECT conditions to some vital players. Everyone of the 15 man squad is likely to have a chance to play some part in the tournament, the sooner the better in some players eyes.

I'm glad to see Pakistan are more controlled with regards to where Afridi bats, rather than having a fixed position, both himself, Razzaq and Malik rotate depending on the better of the team, which will only benefit the end outcome.

With a strong powerful batting line up, and a seam attack of Umur Gul, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif supported by Razzaq, Afridi and Malik, Pakistan have a team capable of bringing the cup home, 14 years since Imran Khan and co did it originally. Insh'Allah this year is Pakistans.

Afridi was in the wrong .... but why allow spectators near the players... spectators are not going to abuse the home players... are they?? the only players the spectators are going to abuse are the tourists.... so the SA cricket Board has got the priorities right .... lets have the spectators right next to the players and hope they abuse the opposition players... as their own player do so in the field.... as Broad has pointed out to them..

I ask that Australian Dictator sitting over the ICC why these all the rules not applied on Autralians how they behave in Aus.
for how long the rest of the world only would have to face the rules only .

Appropriate penalty handed to boom boom, but what i would like to know is what happens to the spectators in such incidents? I've seen the incident in question and Afridi was more than just provoked, they chap in the crowd literally offered to have a punch up with Afridi. Cricket South Africa need to ban the dude in question from all cricket grounds in future.

well every thing seems right but time of punishment. afridi did wrong he should have got punishment but one thing i am concerned about is that he did so in first match and all the procegure took place after third match thats a delay from ICC and it should have been taken in account, pakistan should object on it as the timing is crucial.

Yet another Pakistani player facing a ban. some times I question myself, will I be able to see fully fit, ban/drugs free in form best 11 Pakistani players in the field ever in my life ?.......I cant see that to happen in next 10 years of time :(

No doubt Afridi did something silly and he deserves punishment. I am in no way defending Afridi.

However, I failed to understand why match referee cleared him of all charges at the first place and what prompted Monster Speed to act all by himself. Furthermore, Afridi’s ban could have been 2 Test, 2 ODI, or 4 Test and a T20. Giving him 4 ODI bans is a part of the plan where ICC wants to weaken Pakistan for the World Cup.

Beside Afridi, Speed has set his eyes on Shoaib and Asif while Imran Nazir narrowly escaped punishment. (Don’t be surprised if in few days Speed also acts on Imran). The conspiracy is clear; Speed hates PCB and Pakistan. He will do everything possible to create problems for Pakistan.

I am of the firm opinion that Pakistan MUST pull out of the World Cup citing reasons that they don’t expect a fair and rational treatment from the head of ICC thereby they do not see any motivation to play in a tournament being organized by ICC. This is the only way to show the world all the unjust and biased attitude of Speed towards Pakistan.

We all knows that afridi is a match winner but as a seniour player he should show patient and character.his unsensibl behaviour cost pakistan heavely in worldcup.

afridi is a very attacking player. If he satys on for 5-ten overs he can change the game in many ways which means in a pressured or relieved way. When he does come to bat he tries hitting every single ball for six. If he plays just a bit carefully and sensibly he can be a really good batsmen.

I don't agree with anyone who are saying the giving a BAN to player is right if he/she so something like Gibs and Afridi has done.
In my opinion their should be a room when taking such actions against them as only the players are punished not the spectator who first triggered the incident. Why?? are these players doing their jobs in a Jail or in a military base. Any sport in the world would be interesting to watch only if the players are enjoying it. I don't see that the players would be going to enjoy anymore....

yeah Kamran Bahi im agree with you, Afridi should control his temperment and nervous, Afridi isnt enought good batsmen, but hes the pressure what the team feels when he came to bat, One thing what Pakistan can try is after his banned for 4 matches, try openers, witch Shoaib Malik with Imran Nazir or Imran Nazir with Yasir Hameed,

4 matches is bit harsh on afridi,considering he was just coming into form.when will our criketers learn,but what about the spectator?
he should also be punished,why should be the players get all the punishment.he should be fined and banned from attending criket matches.

Right on Kamran.Hope the so-called Management of the team in SA and the PCB let him serve his 4 match ban starting with sunday's one dayer and finishing with the Ireland game in the World Cup.Cricket SA have just seen what Afridi can do in all departments of the game. Let us allow the world to have a glimpse of Afridi's abilities.
Malik Saeed Toronto Canada

Afridi , i would say, had got away with this with only a four match ban. THe match referee should have brandished him with full eight matches. Its the crowd who pays for their wages and at this level such careless attitude, from a person who is involved in international cricket for almost a decade, can not be ignored that easily. One wonders why hes got a chip on his shoulder. Hes successful once every 20 matches(yea thats right, 20 not 10) and gives almost 5 rpo. Any way, i really hope the warm up matches should not count in his punishment and he misses the first two games. And what about fines to accompany the 4 match ban? .. Any one thinking i am talking too much nonsense should rememeber the keanes, cantonas,thatchers and inzis (though i have forgotten what penalty he paid for his heroics in toronto) of this world.

I fully concur with the comments of Mr. Khalid Arif. However our Board should not waste time on appeals. This way he will only miss two World Cup matches. The Board should also fine him part of his match fee so that he gets hit where it hurts most, his pocket. I am a fan of Afridi and have been very disappointed by his actions, hopefully he will learn, but the chances are small.

Well, after Wasim Akram the only player left who is in form who could change the course of a match in 5 overs or less, will not be part of the two crucial matches in South Africa.

Afridi is to be blamed, but I think Malcolm Speed who initiated it all, has a gruge against Pakistan. In my personal opinion I have found him biased and I have noticed a hint of racism in his actions, especially after the SHOIB / ASIF saga before this series.

Even though I have a lot of respect for Chris Board and I believe he is one of the most gentlemanly, unbiased, kind and considerate men in world cricket, I think he should have weighed the punishment against the circumstances, being it South Africa a nation banned from cricket for a long time for Racial Discrimination of sorts, the H. Gibbs incident, and World Cup being just around the corner.

It is also sad that Gibbs was caught abusing Pakistani Supporters racially, and Afridi was caught trying to hit a South African supporter. I thought cricket lovers went to the cricket grounds to watch a good game of Cricket, but I guess they just go their to watch how much better their country is to the other and it makes them angry if that is not the case.

I love Shahid Afridi's positive cricketing character, but I think he needs to learn something from this incident that he can take to the grave with him, and that is humiliation, tolerence and respect for others.

i hope he wouldnt áppeal against it.I want to know if the warm up matches are included in the punish ???

Have any one got a idea wat actually shahid afridi said to that spectator.and wat is the reason for that?NOone have a headache why arfidi did behave like that???There was surely a very bad comment threw by that spectator...

PCB and sense? When did that happen?

Very unfortunate incident,and more unfortunate for the reason that no official at the match or opposing team objected to it, rather objection came from someone sitting far away and objecting only when Afridi performed in the second ODI.

Afridi should be punished and should learn from this incident that how darely such actions could cost him, his team and nation, especially when they knew time and again that Pakistani team is always under the microscope of ICC officials including administration, officials and umpires, so they need to be the BEST POSSIBLE AMBASSADOR of the Nation, not just nation of Pakistan rather nation of ISLAM.

Afridi did the wrong thing at the wrong time. The consequences and the punishment are perfect as they were similarly suffered by Gibbs. The only problem is that we are looking at it from the perspective of Pakistani fans, losing Afridi for 2 world cup matches and also the south africa series is very hard to grasp. Even though he is inconsistent his presence, his fielding, his bowling at crucial stages and how he can turn a game on its head with the bat. These are things every team dreams of, Australia will face a similar situation of Andrew Symonds isnt fit. I thought the ICC would have been sparing in the timing of the ban they could have left it till after the world cup. After all they want to make money and get viewers, afridi does just that he is more than a cricketer, hes an entertainer & to many millions of fans an idol!

It is a very sad incident for all Pakistan cricket fans. Afridi brings energy and excitement in the game wheather he is bowling or batting and we'll miss all of his actions for the next few games. I believe he shouldn't have messed with the spectator especially with the bat which is outrageous. I hope he comes back and rocks the world of cricket with his bat.

If Afridi got a punishment of this level, the punishment meeted out to gibbs looks pretty timid. fair enough with what he did was wrong in any sprt but to ban him for four matches is a bit too much considering the world cup is around the corner. he should have banned him for 2 matches or maybe 3. this maybe the world cup advantage slipping out f paks hands

This had to happen after what he did but I have a few questions from ICC. He tried to hit a spectator with bat. He is on scene for over 10 years and never tried such thing. There must have been some sort of serious(may be of nature as was done to football great Zidane by Matarazzi) abuse which provoked him for doing so. Now, let's explore another aspect...no inquiry after match, not even in two rest days. Where was Chris Borad then who suddenly emerged at scene after mind blowing performance of Afridi in second One Day. Why didn't he take any action before and suddenly decided to take one after "Three Long Days"??????? Will Chris Broad or ICC try to justify this delay???? Or is i the same old story of baising against Asian players by Non-Asian Dominant ICC???? I am clueless, may be you people have one to share with me.

I totally agree with you, Kamran. Afridi deserved to be puinshed and he also deserves to play for Pakistan. You're right about accepting the punishment too.
Looking at the history of some of the Pakistan players (especially more recent ones), I'm not totally surprised at Afridi's action. Non-prefessionalism of pakistani cricketers is much discussed topic among crickt fans, experts and critics. But we don't see any improvement here ( Maybe only in terms of team consistancy).
I have this feeling that such instances are increasing in the cricketing world, which should be a concern for the cricketing authorities all over the world. I don't think punishments and fines are going to solve this issue. Maybe the cricketing authorities and especially PCB need to take measures to educate the players to be not only better sportsmen, but also better embassadors of their country and sport.

Afridi did such an excellent job in that second ODI that i completley forgive him. Besides in the WC our first 2 matches are against the WIndies and Ireland. I'm pretty sure we can slaughter them without Afridi. Hopefully evryone picks up their game. Shoaib and Gul return, Yousuf's form continues, and ABDUL RAZZAQ DOESN"T PLAY. He's terrible. He can be aggresive like Afrdi but unlike Afridi whos big performences come every 5 matches Razzaqs don't even come.

Kamran: Afridi's bat shoveling at the coward spectator is not to be condoned here, however ICC's bigotry and aussie polictics should be bashed all over the place; and you have not spoken out against it!!! whereas Osman Samiuddin is as diabolical a writer as they get ( talks about Asif and Shoiab's ban being overturned in the light of "anything can happen in Pakistan" but uses Asif and Shoiabs silence as reason for their guilt...w/o realizing that the same "anything can happen in Pakistan" theory be applied to their apparent silence ...maybe Asif and Shoaib were told to shut up...It is logical to think of that under the context of that theory), it is expected from a pure truth writer to seek out ICC here and deliver a BOOM BOOM beating.

ICC's speed is indeed an "offspring of a dubious origin". How can ICC media rep issue a statement advising against a ban on Afridi but later (more than the 18 hour stipulation) to have speed make an issue of it...plain & simple: they are scared of Afridi's capability......regardless, you, Mr. Abbassi need to give this adhocism of invoking dual standards against Pakistan, a solid Afridi like bashing...afterall the only voice PCB has is that half-retard Salim Altaf..who cant even get ICC to grant PCB more time to announce the WC squad but when it comes to Symonds then Australia can swap for him if not fit?!!? or they have our "zankha" president who is good for just that.

SOMEONE LIKE YOU KAMRAN, needs to SPEAK UP....TAKE A STAND...I AM WAITING ON YOU, LIKE THE MANY OF US...who would like to see you bring this into the light...maybe it will give Pakistan encouragement to make sense of the situation and take ICC to task. My only grief is that the Indians would have already made ICC apologize....

Abbasi bhai can you please confirm whether the warm up matches count as part of the ban?

Well there was an option available 2 ban him for the tests and not for the ODIs esp wen world cup is so near.But ICC!!! the next most dumbest sports body ever!! the first being PCB!!

Only the other day malcolm speed was justifying why had not been taken(as documented on cricinfo) citing if no complaint is made within 18hrs no action can be taken and match ref. Was happy, then back peddles because of south african pressure. Spineless administrator! south africans complained when they were abused, should spare thougt for afridi. Its not like he swung the bat at him! Pointed it. Anyway shoaib,asif and gul will be the key players at the WC. Amongst the big middle 3! Insha allah!

There was no reason for Mr tough guy (Malcom Speed) sitting in Dubai to take notice of Afridi's incident personally when match refree (Chris broad) had not taken any action. Malcom took action only because he could according to law or there was something else there. I smell something fishy here. What afridi did was wrong but it was only a knee jerk reaction but how about Gibbs delibrate racists remarks, Mark boucher and Andre Nels non stop abuse of pakistani players. Darrell Hair incident is not finished. Everyone in the world thought Darrel Hair was wrong but i could not find single aussie newspaper which condemned Darrell. He is an aussie and so is Malcom speed. It is payback time pakistan. ICC also rejected pakistan request for some more time to finalize worlcup squad because of injury problem. Watch for more to come in future.

All professional players need to control themselves, but here the host Board should also be reprimanded for allowing the incident to take place - proximity of hooligans to the players. The fat ass that did the chicken dance in front of Afridi should be banned from that ground for 4 games as well.

I disagree, what afridi did was totally accepted. This ill-literated person was calling him names and kept pushing him. I watched the real offical video clip with voices. It was clear that spectator was a indian was was deliberately provoking something. Since all the nations are against pakistan, this was just another excuse for them to punish our rising stars. Remember, the rest of the cricket nations have a beef against Shoaib Aktar, Mohammed Asif and Shahid Afridi.

Afridi is needed to produce fireworks to mark the first match of the World Cup. It is obviously to Pakistan’s disadvantage for him to miss the warm-up matches. Sabina Park has lost some bounce and pace in recent years; Afridi is expected to dispatch the medium pacers all around the park. As for his batting position, although he does not prefer to open, he should if Pakistan bats first. He should also bat first chasing if the total is significantly higher than what is the average is at any given ground. Sabina Park is very chasable for score up to 275.

i truly beleive that afridi can fit into any one day lineup and is a genuine match winner on his day . its good that he has been only penalised for 4 odis which makes him available for the better part of the world cup and might help pakistan in winning the trophy . i wonder if the warm up matches for the worldcup are given international status and if not then he can prepare himself for the worldcup in those matches

hi every one

it was very heartening to know that Afridi got banned but the good part of it is that he will be available for the world cup matches .....

Just one question i had in mind that is IS warm Up matches going to telecast on TV around the world
plz anyone know plz reply to me

seems like there is different range of punishment for different part of world. Player from subcontinent will get twice or thrice as much of the punishment then any other place. Gibbs didn't got that of a harsh punishment, where as when afridi came in form and everyone eyeing to kick him out somehow.
if there is any substitue of not playing 4 ODIs, PCB should consider it.

I agree. PCB and afridi should not appeal this ban. He might get cleared (very slim chance), but if he doesn't that means he won't play WC. Afirdi has matured a lot since he started, but i guess more work needs to be done on him.

This is indeed really sad that afridi has 2 sit for 4 matches given the entertainer he can b but i think the ban is right. You need to learn to be patient. In this world we have people from different cultures and different mindsets.we need to learn to adapt to different conditions and need to absorb the pressure instead of getting animated and bogged down. Afridi represents a nation, also this is a leaning xperience of a lifetime for him. Afridi has been in the international scene for at least 10 years now and he shld learn to control his emotions

Well, yet another set back for Pakistan on this tour. First the long list of injuries, wicketkeeper problems, Inzys inability to walk let alone bat, and now Afridi getting slapped with a ban.

However, is the ban justified? Is one spectators comments and confrontation with a player worth depriving Afridi fans around the world? I think not. ICC needs to realise Afridi is a super star irrespectable of his performances, fans still love watching him play, some watch cricket just to see him!

Im also surprised that Chris Broad did not comment on the fact that there was a security personel standing right next to the spectator who passed comments to Afridi and he was much happier to take a step back rather than intervene and perhaps even remove the spectator from the ground. This goes to show the kind of freedom fans have at the stadium in RSA and how RSA Cricket Board cares less for such incidents. You always see RSA Cricketers crying about the treatment they receive in Australia from the fans there but its time they look inwards. I also include the fans who aggitated Gibbs (btw, is it just me who heard Gibbs scream 'f*&^ Pakistan' because everyone keeps claiming Gibbs never made any racist statments. It was clearly picked up on the stumps mic, clearly a racist remark yet he gets away with just 1 test and 1 ODI). Anyway, the point Im making is that Afridis ban is harsh and that its time ICC reviews its rules on scenerios involving fans and players.

Is one loud-mouth fan's retribution worth depriving an entire nation & fans around the world from watching one of the most exciting cricketer? Certainly not.

Damn right. Afridi did the wrong thing (although i dont blame him, Pakistani blood you see) and he deserves the punishment but should be an important part of Pakistan's WC campaign

Afridi has received due penalty for what he has done. There are just some lines you can't cross and he most certainly breached the code of conduct. We know how the south african crowds can be but these guys re highly paid elite sportsmen who are also role models for the kids and people should be aware that this so called "biff" is not part of the game. I'm sure many players would love to whack Andre Nel or one of the aussie players like Hayden or McGrath over the head for their on field remarks but you just can't do it.

He will still be a force in thw world cup and unless something goes seriously wrong, Pakistan will need him in the super 8's (which I think is a stupid concept).

PCB should not appeal the ban as it may risk him in the bigger games.

The Punishment is too harsh. It was unsatisfactory arrangement by the Cricket South Africa. The Max punishment should had been one match. The spectator goes without a punishment although he provoke mischief so does the Cricket South Africa. What a justice?. I consider it to be a bit racial since the charge was laid by the ICC president.

Afridi is an explosive cricketer and an asset to any ODI squad. When he gets going he is cool to watch and is definitely a crowd puller.

It is a pity that his form has suffered in 2006. He has struggled, and when that incident happened a lot of things must have been on his mind.

Although there is no reason to justify Afridi's action to thrust his bat at a spectator on his way to the dressing room, one must question why the spectators are allowed to be so close to the players in total disregard of security for both the players and the spectators. It is also unfair for players to be penalized for bringing the game of cricket in to disrepute, while no action is taken against a spectator or spectators who hurl abuse at the players or instigate them to react in a ungentleman like msnner. Penalties are often imposed on players for rude behavior on and off the field, while spectators are generally spared for their misconduct. It is critical to bring a balance in this respect and spectators should be told that rules of behavior apply to them too and they cannot get away making any slur on the players or peppering them with foul items such as eggs, banana skins, bottles and so on.

Now that the decision has been taken to ban Afridi from four ODI's, the Pakistan selectors should not take him in to accouint for their World Cup squad. They have plenty of good players available for the team and keeping Afridi with the knowledge that he can't play in the first Two or Three World Cup matches would mean excluding another player who can make a difference in the over all performance of the team in the World Cup. The selectors have to be practical and send their best team to play the World Cup, out of the available and healthy players to keep Pakistan in contention for winning the Cup.

As for Afridi, the penalty should teach him to keep his temper in check and stay focused on cricket and he should be an example for all his mates never to forget that cricket is still a game of Gentlemen.

Well, this is what you get when you put a lesser value to your players' well-being than other teams. Air-tight security is provided to teams especially those from Australia, NZ, England, and South Africa when they visit Pakistan. Exemplary hospitality is provided to those who do not have the most rudimentary understanding and appreciation of it. If they did they would reciprocate in kind. Instead, the response you get is verbal assault from their players and utter abuse from their spectators all working in unison to provide cannon-fodder to their media when our team visits their countries.

Why can't the sports ministry in Pakistan dispatch security teams to ALL countries ahead of Pakistan team's visit to those countries to assess the security situation in those countries is a question I'd like to ask. If anything, this Shahid Afridi incident proves that spectators in the western countries need to be caged in just as they are in Pakistan, India, etc. If the PCB and the government of Pakistan had any character it would ask the South Africans to protect its players from their unruly and uncivilized spectators. Inzamam as the captain should've voiced his concern about the security of his players. But why would the citizens of a lesser country think along those lines?

The punishment sounds very harsh. Players are after all human beings and the game makes their emotions run even higher. This shouldn't have been counted as level 3 offence in the first place. ICC should think over it.

the afridi incident is sad and very unfortunate for pakistan team,afridi and the entire pakistan team needs ear plugs in the world cup ,so they don't hear anyone abusing them verbaly.and ....just like "brothers in islam " bangladesh should arrange an emergency ODI tour of pakistan for next week,and help brother "afridi" out of this jam (ban)..just like wasim akram and co have done for them in previous world cup..."how is that"..?

Why Malcom Speed, Chief Exec., of ICC reacts to incident when it wasn't reported by either match referee or Cricket South Africa. Australian proves again to be a racist. 4 match ban is bit harsh but not wrong. Afridi deserved it!!! That means we gonna lose our next 2 matches to S.Africans.

He is irepressible and impetous. Also a match winner. However, what makes a great player is someone who has sufficient control to suppress his impetous side, except when dealing with the ball (sending it down or receiving it). I do wish all Pakistani players can learn to be cool calm and collected.

Why the deathly silence from the holier - than thou Pakistani supporters.? Where's all the hysteria that followed the Gibbs swearing incident? Just what is THE WORSE OFFENCE -being goaded by a supporter, and swearing at him (unheard, were it not for the stump mike) or aiming the business end of a cricket bat at him? The answer is obvious !! Afridi's action was TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE, and any cricket lover should acknowledge that without question. But as per usual, the sycophantic Pakistani supporters are deathly quiet. But - why are we surprised ? Pakistani cricket supporters never see fault with their own nation's cricketing misdemeanours - omly those of others. And I for one, am heartily sick of their hypocrisy. Afridi is a dishonest cricketer - his attempts at screwing his heel into the pitch on a length is testament to that, and attempting to assault a spectator is pure hooliganism - no more, no less. Plus which, he's just a brainless slogger who comes good one innings in ten. He should have been banned for the whole world cup ! Or maybe not though - his absence from the Pakistani side would no doubt have strengthened their team. The man is a disgrace to cricket.

The moment i saw the footage afridi pointing out his bat at spectator i knew he was in trouble.i told my brothers that he is going to be banned for atleast two odis.anywat came the next day, checked cricinfo all day to see if there was any action taken against him..nope..Surprised..then the reason came..that south African managment didnt file a complaint,niether did any officials,fair enough but hang on MALCOM SPEED has the right as CE to press charges agaisnt afridi....Oh great, he has till friday to take action..sure Malcom speed will take him time, see how afridi performs in next match and then decide whether to press charges or not..Boom,afridi made 77* off 35 balls and takes 3 wickets. Malcom speed thinks,hmmmmm this bloke can be dangerous in the WC, ok thats how we will do it..we will let him play one more game and then ban him for 4 odis. so if he appeals, he could risk 4 odis in wc as he'd be avialable to play for pak agasint SA while the appeal is pending..
The Morale of story is that WHY THE HELL DID THEY NOT BAN HIM RIGHT AWAY?
oh and Mr Kamran ,FYI warm up matches don't count, Afridi will miss first two WC matches and he did the right thing not to appeal..
oh no Afridi in next two matches......what a pity .:(

Afridi made a mistake and he should pay the price for it. I am a hufe fan of him, but this type of behavior is unacceptable. He is a professional athlete and thousands of kids look up to him as a role model. He should have acted as a professional and ignored the comments by the spectators. I totally agree with you that PCB should forget about appealing and just focus on getting the players ready for the World Cup. Im looking forward to seeing Afridi, along with rest of the team, play in the World Cup and hopefully we can make a run for it.

Thanks,

Best wishes to all.

It was not just an ordinary incident but pre planned to revenge of Gibbs ban, which Afridi got trapped in. You cannot imagine the happiness of SAPA and celebration on this ban in South Africa. Why the spectator was taken into custody or thrown out of the ground immediately like those pakistani supporters involved in Gibbs case, where there was no video footage available proving misbehaviour of pakistani supporters. In Afridi's case security guard is just standing two steps from Afridi and watching the spectator passing comments to player. I think Malcom Speed should have issued warning to Afridi since there was no official complaint lodged against him. One thing is for sure that Speed's decisions are always against Asian Players. Hoping good for Afridi and wish he does not loose courage as world cup is commencing ahead.

This comment is in regard to world cup (WC) preparatons for pak. I have been watching Pakistan cricket since my childhood, although not from that country. I have observed, the more agressive they play, the more they succeed. In general, if they have good opening partnership, they put up huge score, unlike other world cricket teams. So they should try to get the best opening option available. Salman and Imran may be one of the option, NOT Akmal. I think Imran can do wicket-keeping. I am sure , he can of Akmal's quality. This will make a good option for other batsman or bowler. One more glitch is their bowling. Rana is not an option anymore. He has been well read by most of the opposition. He can make way for shoaib. For Razak and Azhar, only one allrounder should be played in one match. That would make way for omer gul as bowler.
Sami should be taken to WC, but only played as replacement for an injured bowler which is likely to happen, seeing the record. I hope not in a crucial match.
One more concern with pakistan team, which was not inherent is lack of proper education with these kids.This is reason, sometimes they make silly mistakes both in-field or off-field. Inzi has been known long enough internationally, and he knows during this time, even a silly mistake makes them vulnerable to lot of media criticism. He should talk to his squad often during the game. He should make afridi to learn that he should atleast get used to pitch, bounce and then start his boom-boom. he can be a wonderful, if he just controls this small instinct. Matches are played between teams, not between individuals. For this reason I think inzi should always talk to his team, no matter how senior he may be. He is the leader and he should hold the edge. This is very important for their WC plan.
So likely the team for WC can be
(Salman or Hafeez) (Imran) 3.YK 4.MY 5.inzi 6. Sho. M 7. S afridi 8. A. Ra or Az Mah ( rotate them) 9. Sho. AK (if,option sami) 10. U gul(if option shabir) 11. Asif ( keep him fit.
As I said Wicket keeping is with Imran N.
Believe it or not, their win makes my day

Thanx

At the international level, players should be ready to receive any type of comments from the opposition or crowd to influence their performance. Its no different then sledging on the field. Afridi is no new comer and the punishment was due but 4 ODIs is a bit harsh. I believe PCB/Afridi should appeal not to remove the punishment but to lessen the ban to 2 ODIs. Afridi has matured into a very valuable senior team member. There is no doubt in is talent as an alrounder and the confidence he brings with him. He is the only batsman next to Gilchrist that ballers all over fear most. Fortunately Bob Wolmer and Inzi are aware of this Pathans talent!

I personally don't think the ban is harsh at all. In fact, these guys were intending to ban him for 8 ODIs to begin with. So given the fact that he ended up receiving a 4-match ban for doing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqgTZUw09T8 is more an example of fairness than vicious justice.
Secondly, those who think that the ICC or Malcolm Speed is out to get the Pakistanis need to re-evaluate their stance in the light of the fact that what the opposing party said was never considered a legit excuse for Zidane and niether Gibbs. Therefore, the notion that Afridi shouldn't have been punished at all because probably something vile was said to him is half-baked and I'm afraid, a little self-righteous. In fact, advocating absence of punishment for Afridi's offence is a bit like most people backing the U-turn in the doping case. If you guys can ever develop an ability to look at things 'objectively', if you can for once put aside your passions and your interests, it's not difficult to fathom how crass, how utterly ignoble the ban-overturn looked then, and how hypocritical the battlecry to let Afridi go scot free sounds now.
Having said all this, I hope he clicks in the world cup. Sometimes I wish he would trade just a little speck of his brawn for a bit more of brain. He so could have been the most destructive batsman in the world on a consistent basis. Oh well, so much for could-haves and should-haves. Cianara and au revoir.

what afridi did was stupid.....period. ppl like afridi should receive longer bans because they are not capable of keeping their emotions under control.

Kamran, Please clarify ... Are the two warmup games official ODIs. If yes, then I dont see why Afridi would be ineligible for the West Indies game.

But the other article on cricinfo seems to suggest that he will be ineligible for that game.

Great decision by Chris. The only negative impact on out team performance will be for rest of the two matches in South Africa. The main utility of Afridi on consistent basis was his performance witht he ball, while team is running short on bowling resources due to injuries. For the WC, team will not suffer much with the absence of Afridi as we will have our main bowlers back in the bunch. And these are only two initial games of the tournament. Time to move on with a lesson not to lose temper ever.

Afridi's punishment is fair enough. The first 2 games of the World Cup wont be too bad for Pakistan, we have a good record against the Windies and as for Ireland - a Pakistan Under 19 team can beat them, forget about our national side. So nothing is lost. However, Afridi should be a little more careful with his actions. I do think however that South Africa is the worst place to play International cricket. Their players are closet racists and loud mouths - eg Gibbs, Boucher, Nel, Smith etc and their crowds are full of racists and drunks who make it a point to verbally abuse the families of visiting teams players and so on. The ICC should really do something about this. As for the Pakistan team, I hope they learn how to sledge properly and give the South Africans a good dose of the very same the next time the Proteas are in our own backyard. For now, the Pakistani team should just go out there and play the next 2 games and get the hell out of South Africa as soon as possible so we can concentrate on what really matters - the World Cup.

I understand that if an appeal is carried out he will be allowed to continue playing. Is it possible for the PCB to sit Afridi but still exercise the appeal and make the rested game count as part of the ban in case the appeal does not come off? If Afridi is forced to sit out the World Cup then it really is defeating the purpose of the appeal since he is forced to miss more crucial games.
The ICC is at fault here because they originally decided not to ban him which allowed him to play ODI 3 which had no result. If they had announced the ban along conventional lines then we would not be in this kind of situation. The PCB should make some kind of move to protect its players and act against this unfair though not necessarily biased move by the ICC.

Agreed! Afridi must not left out of ODIs period! It is sad that he is out for 4 ODIs. My understanding is 4 ODIs include first 2 matches of WC. They are games against WI on 3/13 and Irelend on 3/17, which is okay bc 1st round is not that critical. His absence in last 2 games against SA will cost us!

Whats done is done. I agree, he should accept the ban and be assured about his inclusion in the worldcup squad. The worldcup this time around is a long tournament, much like the 1992 version, with every major nation playing each other at least once: 11 games for making it to the semis. So sitting Afridi out on small grounds and low bounce pitches of the West Indies is ludicrous. I dont think he'll be as effective with the bowl as with the bat. The 15 man squad should've these 10 players: Inz,M.Ysf,Younis,KAkmal,Afridi,S.Akhtar,MAsif,UGul,SMalik,Razzaq,
The other 5 ought to come from:
M.Hafeez,IFrahat,ImranNazir,AzharMahmood,AbdurRehman,MSami,Ranaved&S.Butt

He should have done better. He was comining after Hajj and that should have taught him restraint. I am surprised at the law and order situation in the Pakistani camp. I think the conrol by Pakistani board will be far better once World Cup is over and great INZY and the party are gone. I am not implying that current board guys are angels

APARTHIED AFRIDI,first test of this Ashes.....Australian opener Justin Langer got out and was going back to pavilion,on stairs one spectator gave some comments on him and he stood,returned and angirly exchanged words with spectator.He showed bat to him and then some security persons finished the matter.This was shown on TV many times but at that time ICC and Malcom Speed did nt recognize it as "brininging game into disripute".......No charges were laid by match refree neither Malcom speed.Why..... It happens only to Asian and specailly pakistan team.WHY this discrimination if rules are there then they should be used on all teams including Australia,SA.Andre nel can say and bark at batsman as he wishes.
while afridi already frustrated by loosing his wicket n is not even outta ground, a white spectator provokes him, and afridi is given 4 matches ban just for swinging his bat to a spectator,while nothing against the spectator who provoked him,instead he is giving his 5 SECONDS OF FAME

Once again double standards are being adopted by the match refree. Gibbs makes a racist remark , which is far more serious than a twirl of the bat by Afridi , and gets banned for one test , one one day and an unimportant 20/20 whereas Afridi has to sit out 2 very important games in a World Cup that is held ONCE IN FOUR YEARS . Not fair Mr. Broad , not fair at all .Also why isn't Andre Nel ever punished for his tirades in the indian and pakistani tests .

I find it difficult to understand why did Malcom Speed exercise his autority to lay the charges against Pakistani player.I doubt he would have done that if an Australian cricketer was involved.What Afridi did was unacceptable,but the specatator did not lay any charge nor did the match refree,then why did Mr.Melcom find it necessary to raise this issue.He did not say even a single word when pakistani spectators were called 'bunch of animals' by a white 'human'.

I think the punishment is little harsh for Afridi because if you look back what Gibbs has done he should be banned only for 2 ODI's or 1 Test.

Not fare with Pakistani lad. He should appeal against it. I dont no why Andre Nel dont get any punishment for his behaviour on the ground. Another bad desicion by match refree.

Afridi made a mistake and will serve his sentence. Obviously, the bloke in the crowd said something to him which got him angry, but it was wrong to react in the way that Shahid did. But hey, we are all human beings and as such are fallible to silly mistakes.

As for the strategy that the Pakistan selectors and management have stumbled across - one where we bat all the way down to 9 or 10, with Azhar Mahmood finally called in. That is the best accidental stumbling the idiots at the PCB have done in many a year. Azhar at 9 could be a master stroke. It gives depth to the batting side and another bowling option.

If we assume the 11 that played in the last game will be part of the 15 for the world cup (assumptions are never to be made when referring to anything to do with the PCB!), the final 4 places will goto Hafeez, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and then the proper spinner - ideally Danish Kaneria, otherwise it will be Abdur Rehman.

On paper the squad looks good. Finally, Imran Nazir and Azhar Mahmood have been given a chance and they look good options to have in the Caribbean. Why has it taken so long to bring these two obvious talents back in the side? No disrespect to Rao Iftikhar but surely Azhar offers more to the side. Hopefully, Azhar will work hard on his fitness from now on and go with the squad.

At last we see that park player finally booted into touch. Imran Farhat is the biggest unfunny joke the PCB have played with in recent years. Shockingly, it has been by accident that Imran Nazir has finally got a chance to replace that untalented park player.

Just hope that when the final squad is announced it will be: Inzi, Yusuf, Younis, Imran Nazir, Hafeez, Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Afridi, Razzy, Azhar, Rana, Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Asif and Danish (Abdur Rehman as the alternative). Shabbir looks teh one unlucky chap to miss out, but he isn't fit and it would be difficult for him to get in ahead of the other bowlers if they are fit.

With this squad we surely have a good chance of reaching the semi finals, and then it is anyones trophy. Just hope we can get the fast bowlers fit! And that the PCB dont pull one of their horrid masterstrokes and pick Farhat, Miandads nephew and Majid Khans son! Surely, even those bafoons must realise that they have managed to accidentally stumble across the best one day squad we can take to try and win the world cup......

Shahid Afridi's one-off performance at Centurion was wonderful, but I'm quite sure that he will be unable to repeat his feat come next month's World Cup. Afridi's inconsistency over the years has depreciated into failing consistency, that he repeatadly makes the same mistakes and seldom plays a big innings for Pakistan. Innings such as the one at Centurion are unfortunately fluke events which happen once in a blue moon. That being said, his leg spin definitely deserves him a place on the side, and will ultimately secure his ticket to the Carribean. However, in all this I find it quite amusing that our next big spinning hope, Abdur Rehman, seems rather forgotten! Does he have a ticket to the World Cup?

Saturday - February 10, 2007
12.10 PM

Many may not have seen the incident as Afridi made his way back to the pavilion and engaged with the spectator, the way he did and as reported.

It is unfortunate but then, there is the saying "Better be safe than sorry".

Apart from other coaching sessions done prior to team assembly in preparation for overseas tours, PCB should ensure to review player conduct rules with them as these are highly charged times afflicting this gentleman's sport.

True, players do get carried away in the heat of the moment but as Chris Broad has revealed and summed up in his final verdict - Afridi's swing of the bat showed clear intent to hit back in retaliation and had the spectator not taken an evasive action, the end result could have been different. Team management must have been reviewing with Afridi how he could have tackled this situation, a little differently to avoid this unnecessary storm.

The damage has been done. It would not serve any purpose crying over spilt milk now.

Having said that, how similar incidents in the past were handled by the chiefs at ICC needs to be taken into perspective as well. To minimize double standards being applied in the case of our players, PCB should have in its fold, proper means and resources to effectively deal with such situations.

This latest incident and the way this tour has proceeded on right from the very beginning - mired in controversies of selection and the obvious “Conflict of interest” by those at the helm of affairs does not augur well.

These are ominous signs that ask for a big time change in the culture at PCB. This is bound to happen sooner rather than later, keep fingers crossed.

Mohsin Malik
San Francisco Bay Area

A sportsman should not get punished on his emotions but on his performance. He plays to win, if he gets frustrated you can expect things like that, you must punish, but not in such an extreme way. If you do, sports will not be interesting anymore. I'm right, ain't I?

IT IS very easy to say that Afridi must pay the price for his irresponsible action and then play in the World Cup. In my other posts, before this thread started I have said that, 'Afridi shouldn't have done what he did'. And in another follow up post about what is "disrepute in cricket?" I have talked about the ICC's VETO power. It is good that Mr. Kamran Abbassi has opened a new thread to discuss this very important issue, which in my opinion is not just about Afridi but for Pakistan's honour, pride and dignity.

Mr. Abbassi has condemned Afridi's action like most of us because cricket is a gentleman's game. In soccer, spectators can hurl missiles at each other or even throw a home made bomb on the face of a policeman and kill him. In ice hockey two players can fist fight inside the arena, in front of the whole crowd and the two referees watch them till one of players falls to the ground. In cricket there are two set of laws, one for the whites and one for non-whites. The later are of course not the gentlemen.

In someway or the other we all tend to accept the law of the white man as superior and especially when they thrust upon a non-white person or a non white nation and we say, we have no choice but to accept it. The question is, how big or how long are the hands of ICC? What is ICC's jurisdiction and what are its responsibilities towards protecting and safe guarding the players? Is it restricted only when the players are on the ground? Or does it allow ICC to go beyond that and probe into what is being done or discussed in the dressing rooms?

If this is an example that ICC wants to show to the rest of the world that Herschelle Gibbs was penalized, so Afridi cannot be left off the hook. In my opinion there is NO similarity in both cases. Even if it is proved that the man in question was harassing Afridi with racial slur or personal abuse towards him or his family, whatsoever. The finer point that is to be noted here is, what Gibbs said to the spectators was a cold blooded and thoughtful reaction and while he was badmouthing he was on the ground. Whereas, Afridi was NOT on the ground, he was on the steps that leads to the players dressing room and his reaction was very sudden.

Now, that is my point, why Gibbs was handed over a two match ban and why Afridi has been banned for four? There doesn't seem to be any disrepute to the game that Afridi has brought, he was out of the ground, his reaction was not towards the umpire or the players, just because the camera picked up that incident doesn't mean that it should be used against him as an offense. If, there is anyone who should warn Afridi for such behaviour, it should have been the team manager. Or, if that was such a serious case of assault, then it should have been referred to the police, then it is another matter, which did not happen. No one even reported this incident to anyone. But, someone definitely thought it is a very good opportunity to get him, nail him down, grab the bull by its horns and then couriered the video to "Speedy Gonzales" who was in the Caribbean then and he comes up with the verdict through his Broad.

Recently Bob Woolmer and Shoaib had a row in the player's balcony and the camera, plus the audio picked up the heated debate. That is also a disrepute to the game, the ICC should ban Shoaib and Woolmer for 4 matches, may be for all the WC matches! What a joke? Why can't the ICC restricts its role on to the ground and for the game only. Why does it have to go into peoples bedrooms and behave like a bully? And why are the rules not applied on all the players and the cricket playing nations EQUALLY? Why did Justin Langer got off the hook