Looks like Afridi has been assured of more security in the test side, or been convinced like a kid is usually, to announce his great come back. He goes one better. He says that he meant that he was retiring for only two weeks!

I said this when Afridi did retire:

Cricinfo’s Osman Samiuddin reports:

Shahid Afridi has announced his `retirement’ from Test cricket. In an announcement that caught most people in Pakistan by complete surprise, Afridi told a local TV channel that he was planning to concentrate only on ODI cricket to ready himself for the World Cup in 2007.

This has the cricket fans perplexed. Shahid Afridi is just 26 years old. He has been superb for Pakistan in both one dayers and tests of late. A case in point - in his last 10 tests, Shahid Afridi has scored 854 runs at an average of 47.44 with 3 hundreds. He has also taken 23 wickets at an average of 33.60. This, after being left in the wilderness for long from the Pakistan national cricket team. You would imagine that Afridi would want to play as much international cricket as he possibly could.

So every one is describing the decision of Shahid Afridi to retire as crazy, shocking, bewildering and every thing in between. I see it slightly differently. Confirmed tests Pakistan play between now and the World Cup are 4 in England and at least 3 in South Africa apart from the home tests versus the West Indies. England and South Africa have pitches which are in sharp contrast to the pitches the sub-continent has. Afridi is absolutely king on flat wickets where the ball is not moving, bouncing and playing cross batted shots is not as easy. But would only this make Afridi sit out?

You have to consider the second important aspect. To defeat England in England, or at least compete, you need solid specialist cricketers. Would an Afridi be preferred over a solid batsman in England? In most likelihood ‘no’. Would the playing XI be stronger by chosing a specialist or an Afridi (whose batting or spin wouldn’t be as effective in England or South Africa)? If there was any one except a Woolmer at the helm, I would be less certain regarding Afridi not playing in England given his recent track record. However, Woolmer is a superb strategist. Woolmer is the real reason Afridi and Akhtar were used so well by Pakistan in the recent past. Woolmer is a key reason why Pakistan is doing so well of late. But that’s another story.

Now Woolmer was instrumental in bringing Afridi back to the Pakistan side. So I would be surprised if Afridi didn’t consult Woolmer before announcing his decision. Even if he didn’t, Afridi had one of two paths to chose from here:

1. Play in the test team and risk being in and out of the side and lose the place by the end of the South African tour - a very real possibility.
2. The path Afridi chose to go with.

Another aspect to consider - in the crazy world of Pakistan cricket, no one is certain of any spot. So a Rameez Raja, a Javed Miandad or any one else can come and go from top level management. A Woolmer (who used Afridi very well in the Pakistan side) may not be there after World Cup 2007. He is contracted till 2007 as things stand.

By announcing his retirement now, Afridi almost certainly ensures himself a return to test cricket as soon as he announces that he is reversing his decision to retire after the 2007 World Cup. Heck, if Michael Jordan can do it, what is Afridi! Loads of people have retired before and made comebacks.

The World Cup will be played in the West Indies - tracks which are usually flat. To support a successful World Cup (sadly runs is supposed to be excitment in cricket nowadays) flat wickets are a given. So Afridi has a good chance of having a decent World Cup 2007 individually.

Afridi is just 26. I will be much more surprised if he doesn’t play another test match in his life than any one who is surprised at him announcing his retirement from tests right now.