ISLAMABAD: In response to the recent changes in the Pakistan cricket team’s leadership, former captain Shahid Afridi expressed regret over his own and others’ removal from captaincy, emphasizing his wish for his son-in-law, Shaheen Shah Afridi, to concentrate on his cricket career.
Afridi stated, “I want Shaheen to focus on his own cricket,” revealing that he had advised against Shaheen accepting the captaincy role at Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
He emphasized his efforts to shield Shaheen from captaincy, noting the challenging outcomes experienced by many former captains, himself included.
These comments from the veteran cricketer follow the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to reinstate Babar Azam as the national team’s captain for T20Is and ODIs ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on April 18.
The PCB cited this change as a strategic maneuver aimed at preserving player well-being and performance, particularly for fast bowlers, in their statement.
It’s worth noting that Shaheen was appointed as the team’s T20 captain after Babar resigned from the position in November last year due to the team’s subpar performance in the 2023 Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup.
Afridi further elaborated on his stance on team captaincy, reaffirming his support for Mohammad Rizwan and recalling his recommendation to the previous PCB chairman to appoint the wicket-keeper batter as the team’s skipper in white-ball cricket.
