Will Afridi get a farewell match in UAE?

Dubai - Pakistan will play the West Indies in the UAE

After having entertained millions of fans with his relentless desire to hit sixes, Shahid Afridi is ready to bid adieu to the game on a high.
Of course, there have been several highs and lows in a 20-year-career for Pakistan's most popular cricketer after Imran Khan. Now the maverick  36-year-old superstar finally seems to have accepted the fact that Pakistan cricket is ready to move into a new era - an era that will be devoid of those unique and crazy Afridi moments.  

Without Afridi's services, Sarfraz Ahmed began his innings as Pakistan T20I captain with a fine win in England. And Afridi, the man who played such a key role with the bat and ball in Pakistan's 2009 T20 World Championship victory, was once again overlooked when selectors named the T20 team for this month's West Indies series in the UAE.
The writing is clearly on the wall for the ageing star.
But there were reports in Pakistan media that Afridi showed a desire to 'end his career on a high' by playing a farewell match against the West Indies in the UAE. 

Afridi, however, denied approaching the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a farewell match in the UAE.
"I have discussed my plans with the chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq and he has discussed his and board's plans with me," Afridi told reporters in Pakistan.
"But there was no truth in the media reports that I have requested the PCB for a farewell match. Yes, it's true that I want to quit on a high note. If I wanted to retire just randomly then I would have done it after World T20 in India.
"I am not under any pressure from the board to take West Indies series and retire, neither am I pressurising the PCB," the former Pakistan captain added.
"I want to retire gracefully - something which is unprecedented in Pakistan as not too many players have left cricket with grace. I will opt for something which is graceful for both - me and PCB!
Afridi, who quit Test cricket in 2010, last year announced his retirement from one-day cricket. His last international event was the 2016 World T20 Championship in which Pakistan crashed out of the group stage with only one victory under his captaincy. 
He stepped down from captaincy after the tournament, but showed a desire to continue as a player.
The selectors though had other ideas and after the England snub, his name again didn't feature in the Pakistan T20 team that will play the West Indies in the UAE later this month. 
Now it remains to be seen what PCB does next as we all know Afridi has a huge following in the UAE. And Pakistan fans in this country will be delighted if PCB agrees to give their favourite star a chance to say goodbye to them with a few big sixes, of course! 
 
 
Pakistan v West Indies T20 Series in UAE
First T20I
Friday, September 23 
Dubai International Cricket Stadium
8pm UAE Time
Second T20I 
Saturday, September 24
Dubai International Cricket Stadium
8pm UAE Time
Third T20I
Tuesday, September 27
Shaikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
8pm UAE Time