How Strong is Shahid Afridi's Political Clout?
This question came to my mind when I read about the settlement that Shahid Afridi and the PCB have come to.
Rs. 4.5 million in exchange for an NOC to play for Hampshire in the Friends Life T20 in England.
Not a bad deal I think.
I don't know the worth of Afridi's Hampshire contract, but anything above £32,000 means that Afridi will make a profit at the end of his stint. Hampshire have still got 10 league games to play in the tournament and more depending on how far they qualify. Surely he will make a lot more than £32,000.
What caught my attention the most, however, was the speed with which the settlement was reached.
Sure Afridi left no stone unturned and even reached out to the President's 21 year old son in London. For what exactly, I am not sure but I guess Bilawal Bhutto has some influence over the Pakistan president, who also happens to be the Patron of the PCB.
I think Afridi beat Ijaz Butt at his own game. The one thing Ijaz Butt has had going for him is the support of the Pakistan president.
And Afridi just showed that he's got more of that support.
Younis Khan fought endlessly and silently against the PCB for 10 long months before returning to the team.
Mohammad Yousuf has tussled with the PCB and left the team and returned so many times that I have lost count.
Shoaib Malik's and Danish Kaneria's issues with the PCB are still pending and both players continue to miss out on international duty.
Zulqarnain Haider is another player whose case has been going on forever.
On top, Mohammad Ilyas, the selector who got involved in the Afridi vs PCB war, remains suspended.
And on the other side we have Afridi who refuses to apologise, refuses to play international cricket under the current board and management, yet he got what he wanted - the permission to play for Hampshire.
It cost him Rs. 4.5 million but still he managed to garner support from political figures, as well as, the general public - something that many of his peers could not manage.
So how much political clout does Shahid Afridi really have?
Sure the case with the PCB will continue into the longer term, but with a view on short term gains, Afridi has definitely walked out with the upper hand.
Player ho to aisa!
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Any guesses on who gets the 4.5m? :p
The Butt himself.
and we know who the 10% is for..
Why do cricketers and politicians always have such good relations in the sub continent?
:D
Butt is a smart man! 4.5m - 10% is a good deal for doing nothing!