Shahid Afridi is greeted by supporters upon his arrival in Karachi, on Sunday

Karachi: The row between sacked one-day captain Shahid Afridi and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) escalated on Monday after the all-rounder demanded that an independent tribunal should evaluate the disciplinary charges brought against him.

While the PCB complained politicians were trying to “interfere” and “influence” the disciplinary proceedings brought against Afridi, the 31-year-old hinted that the three-man committee in place could not make an unbiased judgement, as they were all board members.

“I think in all fairness an independent tribunal made up of people from outside the board should be formed to decide who is right or wrong in this dispute,” Afridi told a news conference.

“Look I am not a politician, I am a cricketer and I want to play cricket. But I don’t think I can play in the existing circumstances,” Afridi said.

“I didn’t like the way they removed me as captain without even informing me on telephone or giving any reasoning. I learnt about it through the media. That is why I also announced my retirement in the media,” he said.

“Captaincy is not the issue for me at all. I am ready to play even under junior players like Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal. But the Board needs to respect players. There is definitely a need to form a players association now,” he added.

“I have played 14 years for Pakistan with respect and I want to retire gracefully. But I am fighting this case because I feel in existing circumstances no player is able to fully focus on his main task of playing cricket,” he said.

The 31-year-old also insisted that they were no major disputes with the coach or manager in the team.

“These issues can be sorted out through discussions. But the board didn’t bother to hear my side of the story and removed me as captain, which is not fair.”

His lawyer Ali Zafar added: “If the hearing is held under this process, then I don’t think it makes any sense attending the hearing.”

Afridi has been charged with breaching the PCB’s code of conduct by abruptly announcing his retirement from international cricket last week to the media and making disparaging comments about board officials.

“I didn’t like the way they removed me as captain without even informing me on the telephone or giving any reasoning. I learnt about it through the media. That is why I also announced my retirement in the media,” Afridi said.

The board reacted by suspending Afridi’s central contract, revoked all ‘no-objection certificates’ issued to him to play in foreign leagues and summoned him for a hearing on Wednesday.

“What we don’t understand is he has been penalised without even a hearing being held. We don’t think this is a due process of law being followed by the board,” Zafar added.

The cricketer enjoys considerable political backing and many government officials, including former Prime Minister and leader of the main opposition party Nawaz Sharif, have spoken out to support Afridi in his battle against the PCB. “Yes I met with Bilawal Zardari at a dinner in London and Nawaz Sharif called me up to express his support,” Afridi said.