Shahid Afridi steps down as Pakistan’s T20I captain

“Today I wish to inform my fans in Pakistan and all over the world that I am relinquishing the captaincy of the T20 Pakistan team of my own volition,” Afridi said. “For me it was a great honour to lead my country in all three formats of the game. My profound thanks to the PCB and its chairman Mr. Shaharyar Khan who gave me the honour to lead the national team.”

Afridi’s captaincy came under severe criticism in the past week following the national team’s exit from the World T20 in the Super 10 phase. In a leaked report, prepared by Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s team manager, Afridi was stigmatised as being “absolutely clueless” with respect to on-field strategies and player management. Under Afridi, Pakistan failed to qualify to the final of the Asia Cup in February-March and followed that up with just a solitary win in the showpiece T20 event in India.

The swashbuckling batsman, however, sought to clarify that he wasn’t planning on calling it quits from international cricket just as yet. He had retired from the 50-over format at the end of the last year’s World Cup and was widely expected to call time on his international career after the World T20. However, he had indicated, in an interview with ESPNCricinfo ahead of the tournament, that he was facing pressure from his family and friends to not retire just as yet.

Afridi’s all-round performances in Pakistan’s run to the final of World T20 2007 earned him the player of the tournament award. He played a key hand in the semis and the finals of Pakistan’s title-winning campaign in 2009. Midway through the 2016 edition, he became the leading wicket-taker in the format. In all, in 92 T20Is, he has aggregated 1405 runs at a strike-rate of 150.75 and has picked up 97 wickets at an economy of 6.61.