Shahid Afridi says his “body is in serious pain” due to an old injury which is not allowing him to play

LAHORE: Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) franchise Quetta Gladiators suffered on Sunday a huge blow when the veteran all-rounder and former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi announced to withdraw from the league midway.

Afridi’s announcement came hours after the Gladiators’ win against Islamabad United.

In a video message released after the match, the Pakistani sixer king said that his body isn’t allowing him to continue playing.

“An old injury has made it difficult and the pain it is causing has become unbearable that I can’t endure it anymore,” Afridi said.

He said that he wanted to play further in the PSL for his fans and wanted it to end on a good note.

The former cricketer also offered his apology to the Quetta Gladiators’ chairman Nadeem Umar and his fans for taking his leave in the middle of the tournament.

Speaking about the injury, Afridi said that he has been carrying it for over 15 years and now it has started troubling him.

“My entire body was aching right from the first game [in PSL 7] and last night it became excruciating,” Afridi told Geo News after his announcement.

“I know it’s a difficult decision but health comes first,” he added.

Afridi further stated that he will start his rehabilitation immediately and prepare to return back to the field for Kashmir Premier League.