Karachi: Shahid Afridi has given up Pakistan's 20-overs captaincy after the team's poor World Twenty20 campaign in India but wants to play on for his country, the 36-year-old said on Sunday.

Afridi, who played the last of his 27 tests in 2010, announced last year that he planned to bow out of international cricket after the World Twenty20 in India.

"Today I wish to inform my fans in Pakistan and all over the world that I am relinquishing the captaincy of the T20 Pakistani team of my own volition," the cricketer said in a statement.

"I intend to continue to play the game for my country and league cricket."

Under Afridi, Pakistan lost three of their four group matches, including one against arch-rivals India, and failed to reach the last four of the World Twenty20.

After defeat to Australia in their final match of the tournament nine days ago, Afridi told reporters: "I'm going to go back home and in the next four to five days I will take a decision and whatever is better for the country, I will go with that."