by John Kenny
There are two notable absentees from the two RSA cricket one-day internationals between Ireland and Pakistan which take place in Belfast this Saturday and Monday.
Shahid Afridi, one of Pakistan’s most exciting and controversial cricketers, will not be in Belfast this weekend and neither will Ireland’s wicket keeper Niall O'Brien, who has been in top form this summer.
Afridi, who played for Ireland six times as an overseas player back in 2006, wants to spend time with his father who recently fell ill and who is receiving treatment in the US.
Not only is it a loss for Pakistan but also for fans who would have loved to have seen the charismatic character, who lost his captaincy of the one day side despite their recent disposal of the West Indies in their Caribbean series.
In 2005 he was banned for deliberately damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-test series against England and bit the match ball and ran his teeth along the seam in an extraordinary finale to Australia's two-wicket victory at the WACA Ground last year - an action for which he was also banned.
While Afridi won’t be in Belfast, the absence of Niall O'Brien is a bigger loss to Ireland.
O'Brien suffered a fracture of the fourth metacarpal shaft of his left hand when playing for Northants against Hampshire last week.
Andrew Poynter, who last played for Ireland against Canada in Toronto in September, will replace O'Brien in the Ireland squad, while Gary Wilson will keep wicket.
‘It's so disappointing to miss these games, as I've obviously good memories of playing Pakistan after winning the Man of the Match award when we beat them in the 2007 World Cup,’ said O'Brien.
Both games have a 10.45am start at Stormont.
