Former captain and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi was among the prominent Pakistan players to feature in upcoming Canada’s Global T20 League, scheduled from July 20 to August 6.
Shahid Afridi was picked by Global T20 League’s franchise Toronto Nationals as their marquee player. He last featured in Legends League Cricket (LLC) and propelled his team Asia Lions to the title victory.
He last featured in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) while representing Quetta Gladiators.
However, his stint with the 2019 champions was short-lived as Shahid Afridi pulled out of the rest of the extravaganza due to health concerns.
Taking to his YouTube channel, the veteran all-rounder announced that he will not be taking further part in the PSL 7.
While announcing his retirement, Shahid Afridi claimed that he wanted to end the mega event on a high but his health and fitness did not allow the 41-year-old to stretch his stint.
“I wanted to end the PSL on a good note but my endurance is over. My groin, waist and toes have all given up,” he said.
“I am also suffering from a lower back injury for quite a long now and I think health is everything,” he added.
Following his retirement from the prominent league, Shahid Afridi did feature in the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) before partaking in the star-studded LLC in Qatar.
Meanwhile, apart from Afridi, experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik will also feature in the Global T20 League after he was roped in as the icon player by Mississauga Panthers.
Additionally, Pakistan’s current wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan will turn up for Vancouver Knights in the third edition of the Canadian league.
Some other prominent names from Pakistan who will be participating in the Global T20 League are Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, and Zaman Khan.
Complete list of Pakistani players in GT20 Canada
Vancouver Knights: Muhammad Rizwan (Icon)
Mississauga Panthers: Shoaib Malik (Icon), Azam Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani
Surrey Jaguars: Iftikhar Ahmed (Marquee), Muhammad Haris
Toronto Nationals: Shahid Afridi (Marquee), Zaman Khan, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafiq
Brampton: Hussain Talat, Usama Mir
Montreal: Abbas Afridi