Shaheen Afridi breaks silence on his availability for the Bangladesh Test series

Afridi, who is expecting the birth of his child soon, had been rumoured to take a break from cricket for family time.

Pakistan's fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has confirmed his availability for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday.

The series, part of the World Test Championship, is set to begin later this month.

Afridi, who is expecting the birth of his child soon, had been rumoured to take a break from cricket to spend time with his family.

This was confirmed by head coach Jason Gillespie last Friday. However, Afridi has now communicated his decision to the board, stating he will be available for the series.

Reports suggest Afridi may take a brief leave from the training camp, starting August 6, for a few days around the birth and also to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia. The first Test match will be held from August 21-25 in Rawalpindi, followed by the second from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.

Earlier this week, the fast bowler was making rounds in the news, not for good reasons when his cryptic remarks targeting the batting coach surfaced,

He sparked speculation with a social media post amidst reports of a heated altercation with team coaches during the team's recent tour of Ireland and England ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Afridi shared a video of himself bowling in the nets with the caption "Rise Above" accompanied by an eagle emoji.

The video, featuring former Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq batting, comes amid reports suggesting Afridi's involvement in a heated argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during a practice session at Headingley.