Afridi to stay away from Test cricket till 2011 WC to avoid burn out

Lahore, Dec.3 (ANI): In order to keep himself fresh and avoid a burn out, flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has decided not to play Test cricket until the 2011 World Cup.

Afridi, who has scored 1683 runs in 26 Tests, said he wants to keep himself fit for the 2011 World Cup and the T20 World Championship.

Expressing disappointment at not being given enough opportunity in the longer version of the game, Afridi said he wants to focus more on one-day and T20 cricket.

"When I had a passion for Test cricketI was not selected. But at present more shorter version of cricket is being played and that is why I want some rest from longer version to focus on ODIs and Twenty20 until 2011," The Daily Times quoted Afridi, as saying.

The swashbuckling batman rejected the notion that Test cricket would die out in time to come due to the increasing popularity of T20 cricket, and entertaining players like Andrew Flintoff and himself bidding adieu to the longer version of the game.

"I believe that Test cricket has benefited from the rise of limited-overs formats because they are more result-oriented which is certainly a good sign. If people expect good game from cricketers like Flintoff and me then they have to understand that our bodies demand rest too," Afridi said.

Afridi, who has often been criticised for not transforming his hard hitting into match winning performances, said he is working on his batting and would mature with time.

"According to experts a batsman gets mature after 30. And now I am also getting into my thirties," he said.

The continuous infighting in the Pakistani dressing room that has affected the team's performance, has worried the T20 captain as well, but Afridi said he has his own way of dealing with the issues in the team.

He said as the skipper of the Twenty20 squad he treats all his teammates like his brothers.

"I don't believe in having a single friend in the team. I deal with all my teammates like I deal with my own brothers. And that is why all of them give me due respect," Afridi added. (ANI)