Shahid Afridi will not participate in this year’s edition of the Afghan Shpageeza Cricket League, the Pakistan cult hero confirmed on Friday.
Afridi, who recently featured for English county side Hampshire during last weekend’s NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day, was due to play in the Afghanistan-based tournament between September 11-21.
However, the veteran all-rounder, 37, tweeted that personal reasons meant that this now would not be the case.
Very thankful to AFG gvt, @ACBofficials &MuslimYar sb. Speenghar Tigers to invite me. But I have some vry urgent family issue comeup 1/2
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) September 8, 2017
I look fwd to come in future & support the great iniative. I support bridging realtions via cricket for peace to unite nations. 2/2
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) September 8, 2017
Afridi retired from international cricket earlier this year and is therefore allowed to continue his career as a freelance T20 cricketer, since he does not require a no-objection certificate to play in overseas tournaments from the Pakistan Cricket Board.