The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has disclosed why Shaheen Shah Afridi was removed as T20I captain. Babar Azam was named Pakistan Men’s national cricket team’s white-ball skipper on Sunday by the country’s cricket board. Between 2019 and 2023, Babar led Pakistan in 43 ODIs and 71 T20Is. PCB explains Shaheen Afridi’s T20I captaincy removal
Thus, the cricket governing board changed white-ball leadership “in a strategic move aimed at player well-being and peak performance”. Babar, known for his international batting record, will succeed Afridi as captain. Shaheen Afridi has shown himself as a premier fast bowler, but the PCB understands the necessity of rotation and recuperation to sustain his optimum performance.
PCB explains Shaheen Afridi’s T20I captaincy removal
The PCB claimed this choice was made to keep Pakistan’s premier bowlers at their best while managing workload. It said that the board does not want the national men’s side to face an injury issue in bowling resources like it did before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, when Shaheen had to be closely monitored, and the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, when Naseem Shah was unavailable.
“So, this decision aligns with board’s commitment to safeguarding players’ longevity, especially fast bowlers given their injury timelines in the past two years,” it said.
After the PCB’s decision, Afridi said: “It was an absolute honour to captain the Pakistan National Cricket Team. Memories and opportunities will always be treasured. As a teammate, I must support Babar Azam.
I respect him as a captain after playing with him. My goal is to assist him on and off the field. All are one. We want to make Pakistan the best team in the world.”
Babar Azam leadership experience
With his leadership experience and consistency, the cricket board stated Babar Azam is qualified to head the squad. His captaincy record speaks for itself. He led Pakistan to its first World Cup win over India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
We reached the 2022 T20 World Cup final under his leadership. This was Pakistan’s first World Cup final since 2009. He was named captain because PCB trusts him to lead the squad to success.
After being reappointed white ball captain, Babar remarked, “It was a pleasure to play under Shaheen’s leadership in the recent T20I series. He is young and progressing daily as a player and leader.
As captain, I have always valued his input and will continue to consult him on crucial choices. We must use his gaming strategy. We want to make this team world-class.”
The PCB also thanked Shaheen Afridi for his captaincy and “looks forward to his success on the field”.
So, Pakistan’s main leadership will include him.
“We give our unequivocal support to both Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi as they embark on their respective roles, aiming to make Pakistan a top cricket team,” the PCB said.
