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ToggleShaheen Afridi was recently named captain of one of the teams competing in the Champions One-Day Cup 2024. However, this appointment of Shaheen Afridi as captain has been questioned by former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria.
Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (Wolves), Shadab Khan (Panthers), Saud Shakeel (Dolphins), and Mohammad Haris (Stallions) have been selected captains of the Champions One-Day Cup. The tournament will be place in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29.
Kaneria responded to the development by suggesting that Afridi might still be a candidate to captain Pakistan in the future. He believed that if the fast bowler was still in the running for a leadership position, he should not have been unceremoniously ousted as T20I captain after only one series.
Shaheen Afridi under the scanner
“If Shaheen Afridi has been made the captain, it means that he is being considered to lead Pakistan in the future. Why did you remove him in the first place then? They should have shown faith in him,” Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.
Notably, Shaheen Afridi was removed as Pakistan T20I captain only after one series at the helm after the Men in Green lost to New Zealand 1-4 in a T20I series.
Kaneria mentioned that Misbah-ul-Haq (Wolves), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Waqar Younis (Lions), and Shoaib Malik (Stallions) served as competition mentors.
The former Pakistani spinner believes that instead of a white-ball competition, the aforementioned players should have been brought in to boost the country’s Test team.
“Pakistan has roped in many mentors for the Champions One-Day Cup. What is this? You’ve lost in red-ball cricket and shifting your focus to white-ball cricket,” Kaneria added.
Pakistan recently suffered a 0-2 Test whitewash at home at the hands of Bangladesh, leaving them embarrassed.
Babar Azam should be asked to play domestic cricket: Danish Kaneria
Danish Kaneria also opined on Babar Azam, the white-ball Pakistan captain, and said that he should play domestic cricket and regain confidence at home. Babar scored just 64 runs across four innings against Bangladesh in the recent Test series.
Babar has not scored a Test fifty in the last 16 Test innings, while he hasn’t scored a Test century since 2022.
“The selectors should ask him to play domestic cricket. They should make him understand that while he is a good player, he hasn’t performed and is out of form. You won’t be able to fix things unless you get the basics right. Babar should give some time to domestic cricket. He will be able to regain his form and confidence by scoring big runs in domestic cricket,” Kaneria said.
Pakistan’s next international assignment will be in October when England visits to play 3 Tests.
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