Former Pakistan T20I captain Shaheen Afridi has departed from the training camp and returned to his hometown  Peshawar.

The left-arm pacer, who is celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday today, left the camp following his removal from the T20I captaincy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have clarified that Afridi departed with formal permission and not out of anger.

Shaheen will join the team later at the iftar dinner, which is being hosted by General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), on April 8th.

Afridi started his captaincy journey when Babar Azam resigned from leading in all formats following Pakistan’s disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. However, Afridi’s tenure as captain encountered obstacles right from the start, notably with a disappointing series loss to New Zealand. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) then reappointed Babar Azam as the captain for white-ball cricket.

According to sources, Afridi was unhappy with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) lack of communication regarding his removal from the captaincy position. The 24-year-old had also been upset by a statement, issued after his removal from the T20I captaincy, which contained words not authorized or spoken by him. The PCB acknowledged this error and conveyed to Afridi that it was an internal mistake. 

Afridi shared a cryptic Instagram story, which conveyed a sense of warning, indicating Afridi’s readiness to exhibit a side of himself that others might not have anticipated, should his patience be tested beyond its limit.

Despite feeling unjustly removed from the captaincy, Afridi has expressed his willingness to move forward from the ordeal.