Latif advises ‘beleaguered’ Afridi to play domestic cricket to regain lost form

Islamabad: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has advised out of form all rounder Shahid Afridi to go back to first-class cricket in order to regain his lost touch after a poor last year with the bat.

Latif said Afridi doesn’t have any fitness problems and his striking rate in the one-day format has also been impressive, but believes lack of batting time on the wicket is the major reason behind his poor form. The former wicket keeper further said that in order to get time on wicket, Afridi should go back to domestic cricket and try regain his lost touch. Latif added that Afridi scored 182 runs in 13 ODI innings he played in 2012, but faced only 179 deliveries, Dawn.com reports. Latif further said that unlike others who faced a similar lean patch, Afridi was not playing the longer-versions of the domestic events and therefore not working out his problems. Afridi, who has played 27 Test matches for Pakistan, took retirement from the longest version in July 2010. In Test matches, the all-rounder has scored 1716 runs at an average of 36.51, and notched up five centuries. ANI