Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has denied taking part in discussions or making an attempt to support Shaheen Shah Afridi’s selection as the Twenty20 international captain after the resignation of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam from the leadership position following the team’s poor show in the ODI World Cup.
Following Babar Azam’s resignation from his positions in all three forms, Pakistan has appointed Shaheen Afridi as its new T20I captain. In the Pakistan Super League (PSL) The Left-arm pacer has shown remarkable leadership qualities as the captain of the Lahore Qalandars leading them to back-to-back PSL titles.
This was in response to Babar Azam’s abrupt departure as captain of the team in both formats, which was followed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announcing Shaheen as the T20 captain and Shan Masood as the Test captain. Speaking on a local TV channel, Shahid Afridi addressed the rumours that have been circulating about his purported attempts to sway the captaincy decisions.
“I always have been in the favor of Mohammad Rizwan. I swear, I never talked about making Shaheen the captain, nor did I ever lobby. I am not involved in these things. I don’t have to, and I don’t like it either,” Shahid Afridi said.
Shaheen Afridi has been the leader of Pakistan’s bowling attack in all three formats of the game, with his ability to make a difference at any stage of the innings. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team management have trusted him to lead the team in T20 Cricket with an eye to the 2024 T20 World Cup.
I Wanted To Keep Shaheen Afridi Away From The Captaincy – Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi highlighted that he wanted Babar Azam to continue as Pakistan skipper despite the team’s poor performance and distancing Shaheen Afridi from the Pakistan captaincy.
“I said that Babar should not be removed from the captaincy. I wanted to keep Shaheen away from the captaincy. It has to happen; this is what happens to the captain in the end,” Shahid Afridi added.
Babar Azam was the focus of attention following the Pakistan team’s failure in the 2023 World Cup in India. The Men in Green performance in the marquee event was inconsistent, as they only emerged victorious in four of their nine matches. The PCB has also picked only Shan Masood to succeed Babar Azam in Test cricket.
