Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi expressed his displeasure with the appointment of Shaheen Afridi as captain by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Shahid Afridi has batted for wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan to lead the Men in Green in the shortest format.
Pakistan cricket team had a forgettable ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, not because they failed to make it to Semi Final stage but there was a lot of chaos in PCB. Babar Azam wasn’t at his best , the batter was getting starts but couldn’t capitalize on it which hurt the Pakistani fans.
Mohammad Rizwan is really a fighter- Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi praised Rizwan as a strong fighter and highlighted the skills that, in his view, set him apart from other players in the squad. Afridi’s remarks suggest a preference for Rizwan’s leadership qualities and on-field capabilities in the T20 format.
Shahid Afridi was recently quoted by GeoTV/Samaa TV, where he expressed his viewpoint,
“(I admire Rizwan’s) hardwork and focus level. His best quality, which I like most, is only focusing on his game and paying no heed to who doing what and what not. He is really a fighter!,” said Shahid Afridi.
The Former all-rounder added,
“I want to see him (Rizwan) as the T20 captain, but, mistakenly, Shaheen became the skipper,”
PSL Captaincy Records of Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi
For those unfamiliar with the recent performances, Mohammad Rizwan has an impressive captaincy record, leading Multan Sultans to 24 wins in 36 games in the Pakistan Super League, with an impressive win percentage of 66.66. On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi has led Lahore Qalandars to 17 victories in 25 games, with a win percentage of 68.
Afridi guided Lahore to consecutive trophies in 2022 and 2023, which might have prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board to name him as the Skipper. Meanwhile, Rizwan-led Sultans won the 2021 PSL final and were runners-up in the last two seasons.
As the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean approaches in June 2024, Shaheen Afridi has a huge responsibility of filling the big shoes left by former captain Babar Azam. Under Babar Azam’s leadership, Pakistan reached the 2022 T20 World Cup final in Melbourne but lost to eventual champions England by five wickets.
Pakistan tour of New Zealand
Shaheen Afridi is all set to begin his captaincy tenure with the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, scheduled to kick off on January 12. Following the New Zealand series, Pakistan is set to participate in a four-game T20I series in England, providing further opportunities for Afridi to lead the team before the T20 World Cup. These series will be crucial for Shaheen Afridi to establish himself as the team’s captain and tune their preparations for the global T20 tournament.
The action-packed T20I series is set to kick off on January 12, 2024, at Eden Park, Auckland, followed by matches on January 14 at Seddon Park, Hamilton, and January 17 in Dunedin. The teams will conclude the series with a couple of games in Christchurch.
Full schedule:
1st T20 – 12 January 2024 at Eden Park, Auckland
2nd T20 – 14 January 2024 at Seddon Park, Hamilton
3rd T20 – 17 January 2024 at University Oval, Dunedin
4th T20 – 19 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
5th T20 – 21 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch