Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi said Friday he is planning a Twenty20 match to raise money for almost half a million people displaced by a military operation in the country`s northwest.
|Last Updated: Jun 27, 2014, 08:10 PM IST|Source: AFP
Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi said Friday he is planning a Twenty20 match to raise money for almost half a million people displaced by a military operation in the country`s northwest.
More than 470,000 have fled the offensive against strongholds of the Taliban and other militants in North Waziristan tribal area on the Afghan border.
Aid efforts have been stepped up to cope with the exodus and Afridi, who was born in Pakistan`s tribal areas, said he wanted to help.
"I am in talks with the authorities and will soon announce a Twenty20 match in Lahore to raise funds," the big-hitting allrounder told reporters.
The 34-year-old was speaking at the launch of his charity foundation which will focus on mothers and internal refugees.
Afridi said the foundation had set up a 16-bed maternity hospital in remote Tangi Banda village in northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
"I want to return to my country what it has given me and with an aim to serve my people," he said.
The $160,000 hospital named after Afridi`s father Fazlur Rehman was paid for by the star, who said he had been inspired by former captain Imran Khan.
"Imran set an example for all of us," said Afridi. Khan runs a cancer hospital in Lahore through charity.
Afridi said his foundation would also work on education and sports to turn youngsters away from the path of extremism.
"The youth in remote areas have no education and so whoever wants to change their mind for their motives can use them for suicide bombings and other negative work," said Afridi.
"If we educate them then they can be more helpful for the country."
Afridi, who has played 378 one-day internationals and 74 Twenty20s for Pakistan, said he would spare more time for his foundation after the 2015 World Cup.
He retired from Tests in 2010 after playing 27 matches.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.