Afridi decides to forgive and forget IPL snub

Karachi:

Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi says he has gotten over the anger and hurt he felt at being "snubbed" in the Indian Premier League auction and is open to playing the Twenty20 event in future.

Afridi said if an opportunity came his way, he would like to play in India in the Champions League or IPL in future provided he gets the government's go ahead.

The flamboyant all-rounder said he was guided by the teachings of Holy Prophet and willing to forget and forgive what happened in the IPL.

"After the IPL auction I was deeply hurt and angry, the way Pakistani players were treated was disrespectful and in my view wrong. Whose fault it was..I don't know," Afridi said in a statement posted on pakpassion.net.

"In times like these as a Muslim the examples of our Prophet has guided me and I'm therefore willing to forgive and forget what has happened and look forward," he said.

The all-rounder was among the 11 Pakistani cricketers who failed to find a buyer at the IPL auction held last week in Mumbai.

"When you think about it Pakistan and India share much more things in common than there are differences, we need to build our relations rather than break them," Afridi said.

"Sport should be used to build peace between our great nations, not break them," he said.

Afridi said he would be happy to play in India as fans there have always welcomed him.

"Although Pakistan and India have borders, these borders cannot divide humanity," he said.

Afridi also made it clear that since South Australia had qualified for the Champions League Twenty20, he would be available to play for the Australian state side in the event in India this year.

Afridi is part of the side that has qualified for the Champions League by reaching final of the Big Bash T20 competition in Australia.