Shaheen Afridi leaves Pakistan Cricket Team in the middle of Army Training Camp

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi skipped the national training camp for the New Zealand series to celebrate his birthday. The left-arm pacer left the camp and returned to his home in Peshawar on Saturday, April 8. Shaheen Afridi will later join the team for the Iftar dinner, which will be hosted by the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff on Monday, April 8.

Pakistan team is currently undergoing training in Kakul for the forthcoming T20I series against New Zealand. Notably, Babar Azam has replaced Afridi as T20I skipper and will lead the side during the PAK vs NZ series at home.

Shaheen Afridi was not happy with the way he was snubbed as a Pakistan T20I skipper due to the PCB’s lack of communication regarding the decision. He was also annoyed with the statement issued by PCB after his removal from T20I captaincy.

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Shaheen Afridi shares cryptic IG post

On Saturday, Shaheen Afridi shared a cryptic story on Instagram to showcase his anger over the captaincy chaos. The left-arm shared a video of a lion on his Instagram story with a furious text.

“Never ever put me in a position where I have to show you how cruel I can be. Don’t test my patience. Because I might be the kindest and sweetest person you’ve ever met, but once I reach my limit, you’ll see me do the things that no one thought I was capable of doing,” read the text in the video.

Babar Azam quit captaincy last year

Babar Azam quit the captaincy of the Pakistan team from all three formats after the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 last year, where Pakistan gave a miserable show losing to Afghanistan. PCB later nominated Shaheen Afridi as the new T20I skipper for Pakistan.

However, Afridi’s leadership miserably failed in his first campaign. Pakistan lost the T20I series against New Zealand 4-1 in January 2024 after losing the first four games in a row. Ahead of the New Zealand tour of Pakistan 2024 for a T20I series, the board reinstated Babar Azam as the white-ball skipper; stripping Afridi from his leadership role.

However, Afridi is still part of the Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series and will share the stage with the new captain Babar Azam. Afridi is the most dangerous pacer for the Pakistan team across all three formats.

Also Read: "Babar Azam was under a lot of pressure as the Pakistan captain.."- Zaka Ashraf explodes

PAK vs NZ series to witness 5 T20Is

Meanwhile, the New Zealand tour of Pakistan 2024 will observe five T20I games between both sides. The series commences with the opening game on April 18 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The next two encounters will take place at the same venue.

The final two games will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and conclude the PAK vs NZ T20I series. New Zealand will be led by Michael Bracewell in the absence of many senior members from the side; who are busy in IPL 2024.