KARACHI (TIP): Newly appointed Pakistan twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi has hailed the decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint him as captain until the 2016 World T20 event. The outspoken and flamboyant allrounder said that making him captain until 2016 would ensure they were no problems within the team. “By doing this the board has sent out a clear message to the other players that who is your leader for the next two years,” Afridi said on Geo Super channel.

“It is a good decision because it will discourage an environment where they are always some players who have pretensions to the captaincy and they start becoming ambitious and create a uncomfortable environment in the dressing room,” he said candidly. Afridi who has played 381 one-day internationals and 74 T20 matches for his country said his main job was to blend the team into a fighting unit.

“And you need a cohesive environment to do this,” he said. Ironically, before the PCB announced Afridi as the national T20 captain once again after he was sacked as captain in 2011, some of the players including Umar Gul, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal had no issues proclaiming they were ready for the challenge if asked to captain the side. Afridi said a captain could only be successful if one led by example. “I can’t expect others to dive around in the field if I don’t do it myself it is as simple as that.