Pakistan Manager plays down rift with Afridi, says 'its no big deal

Lahore, June 26 (UNI) Pakistan manager Talat Ali has played down rumours of a ''physical clash'' between all-rounder Shahid Afridi and himself, saying 'it was no big deal' and those with 'malicious intentions' are seeking to instigate disharmony in the team.

According to a report published in the 'Nation', Afridi had an almost physical clash with Talat Ali during the recent training camp at Abbottabad when the manager reportedly said Pakistan team did not have a concept of senior and junior players.

''There is complete harmony in my team and if some people are saying otherwise then they have malicious intentions,'' Talat said.

Amid reports that several senior players are unhappy with young batsman Salman Butt's ascendancy to vice-captaincy, Talat said the confusion began when Butt entered the team bus last week but all the best seats were already occupied and he had to fit himself into a small seat near the gear box.

''Pointing towards the side where some of the junior players were sitting, I just said that one of you should offer his seat to Salman, he is your vice-captain.

''It was Afridi who said that 'he can take my seat, after all he is the vice-captain'. I told him (Afridi) to stay where he is and that some junior boy would vacate his seat but he was insistent and I had to tell him firmly to stop it. That is all that happened and now people are trying to make stories of it,'' he explained.

Talat said that there is little truth in the 'false reports'.

''Actually, it was no big deal,'' he told 'The News'.

'The Nation', however reported Talat as saying ''I am making my mind to report this incident but have not taken any decision as yet.'' However, the other version of the story coming from unconfirmed sources is that Talat asked Afridi to vacate his seat for the 'new vice-captain' and that infuriated Afridi, who is one of the senior most members of the national team.

Afridi then supposedly had a heated argument with Talat and later rushed to assault the manager but was stopped by some of the team members.

Talat laughed off this version saying that the incident has ''tremendously been blown out of proportion. May be there are some elements, who have their own hidden agenda and are trying to spread disharmony in the Pakistan team.'' The manager, however, did admit that Afridi was a 'bit sarcastic' when he offered to vacate his seat for Butt. ''He did sound a bit bitter but that was all,'' he said.

Afridi, 27, was a candidate for captaincy following the resignation of Inzamam-ul-Haq after the World Cup debacle in March.

But he and other senior players like senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq were all overlooked by the PCB that appointed young all-rounder Shoaib Malik as the new skipper.

Talat said that the team management is working to promote a new culture within the national team where 'performance and not seniority' would be rewarded.

UNI