SHARJAH: Shahid Afridi has said “goodbye to international cricket” following his 28-ball 54 for Peshawar Zalmi against Karachi Kings in the ongoing PSL, indicating that he will not attempt to make a comeback in T20Is – the only format he was active in for Pakistan.
“I have said goodbye to international cricket,” Afridi said in Sharjah. “I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but it’s goodbye from international cricket.
Now my foundation is important for me. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country.”
Afridi had played his last Test in 2010 and retired from ODIs after the 2015 World Cup. He continued playing T20 internationals, though, and led Pakistan in the 2016 World T20, after which he announced his decision to step down as captain.
Since then, however, Pakistan have not picked Afridi for the format, leaving him out of the squads for the one-off T20I in England and the three matches against West Indies in the UAE in September last year.
Since his last T20I for Pakistan, against Australia in Mohali in March 2016, Afridi has been playing in T20 competitions around the world: for Hampshire in the Natwest T20 Blast, Islamabad in Pakistan’s National T20 Cup, Rangpur riders in the BPL, and Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL.
