Afridi announces exit from Peshawar Zalmi

PESHAWAR: Shahid Afridi has announced, via Twitter, that he is leaving Peshawar Zalmi and is open to playing for another team in the Pakistan Super League.

The franchise’s owner, Javed Afridi, told Cricinfo that he was “clueless” in the matter and would speak to Afridi about his “surprising” decision.

Incidentally, Afridi had talked about the importance of Peshawar Zalmi to his local region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, yesterday, during the Emirates Airline Twenty20 Trophy in Dubai.

“We have not created the Peshawar Zalmi team to play just a month’s cricket in the PSL and then sit at home,” Afridi had said. “Our work goes beyond the cricket field and we want to change the lives of the underprivileged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“After security operations there, the situation is a lot better in the province, but there are few opportunities or facilities for the youngsters. The Shahid Afridi Foundation works in the health and education sector, but the focus of the Peshawar Zalmi Foundation is towards sports. We want to provide facilities to people who don’t have it.”