Afridi ready to play for Pakistan again

Former captain Shahid Afridi reiterated his desire to play for Pakistan again after a meeting with the new Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf on Wednesday.

They discussed various issues pertaining to the game with Afridi describing his meeting with Ashraf as positive, Geo News reported.

"I am ready to play cricket either as a player or captain," he said having informed the PCB chief about his availability for the team.

Pakistan are playing Sri Lanka in the UAE with the third Test beginning on Thursday. This will be followed by a five-match one-day international series and a Twenty20 match.

Afridi quit the game after being removed from the one-day captaincy by former PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt during the tour of West Indies.

The flamboyant all-rounder also backed the idea of the new PCB Chairman for having three different coaches. "Chairman's idea of having separate coaches for each department is good and it doesn't matter that the coach is foreign or national," he was quoted as saying.

He also expressed sadness over the spot fixing scandal. "This incident has badly affected the national prestige," he said.