Shahid Afridi played in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20Is for Pakistan.© AFP
Shahid Afridi played in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20Is for Pakistan.© AFP

Shahid Afridi, Quetta Gladiators star announced on Sunday that he will take no further part in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 season, saying he is in a lot of pain.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has decided to call time on his Pakistan Super League career due to a persistent back problem. The veteran cricketer also added that he decided to partake in this season’s PSL only for the sake of ‘fans’.

Shahid Afridi brings out his trademark starfish celebration Pakistan Super League
Shahid Afridi brings out his trademark starfish celebration Pakistan Super League

Shahid Afridi Suffered A Back Injury During Training And Also Tested Covid Positive

Shahid Afridi, who last played for Pakistan around six years ago, suffered a back injury during a training session, and also tested positive for Covid-19 before the start of the season. When he returned to action, he was hit for 67 runs by Islamabad United. He played the final match of his PSL career for Quetta Gladiators against United on Sunday, where he ended up with a two-for. He also played for Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings in the PSL

“Good bye to PSL | My body is in serious pain,” the veteran Pakistan star tweeted.

In a video on his YouTube channel, he said: “I wanted to end PSL on a good note but I have been playing with the lower-back injury for 15-16 years now and the pain is quite intense where I feel it in my groin, knee and even the fingers of the foot.”

Shahid Afridi Image Source: Twitter
Shahid Afridi Image Source: Twitter

He went on to add: “Health is everything and I can’t further endure the pain.”

Shahid Afridi took 47 wickets at an average of 26.51 in his PSL career, alongside compiling 459 runs at a strike rate of 150.8. Shahid Afridi was a part of the Multan Sultans side that won the PSL 2021 edition.

Shahid Afridi Promises To Return To The Field For Fans

The veteran Pakistan star has promised that he will return to the field, potentially in the Kashmir Premier League. He also thanked his fans and said it was for them that he wanted to play the PSL season. Shahid Afridi said that his rehabilitation would take two to three months.

“I will come back on the field once again for my fans, keep me in your prayers,” he said.

Shahid Afridi has played three matches this season in the PSL and picked up three wickets, two of which came in the Quetta Gladiators’ last match against Islamabad United.

Shahid Afridi, 41, has represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20 Internationals (T20Is), having made his international debut in an ODI against Kenya in October 1996. He retired from Tests in 2010 and brought down the curtains on his ODI career in 2015. In 2017, he retired from T20Is as well, bringing an end to an international career that spanned over 20 years.

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi. (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

The swashbuckling all-rounder has played for 25 years since making his international debut for Pakistan.  He came as a 16-year-old into the Pakistan ODI squad and was unfazed by all the speculation regarding his real age.

In only his second ODI against Sri Lanka in 1996, he blasted his way to a 37-ball century. For more than 17 years, it remained the fastest century in the ODI format before Corey Anderson broke the record in January 2014 before the feat was achieved by none other than AB de Villiers.

He retired from Test cricket in 2010, it was followed by his farewell from ODIs in 2015 after World Cup.

However, he made a brief return to international cricket after being selected to represent and captain the World XI against the West Indies in the 2018 Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge charity match. Following the conclusion of the match, Shahid Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket on 31 May 2018.