Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan cricket captain, has spoken out regarding the Pakistan Cricket Board’s surprising decision to reinstate Babar Azam as captain for white-ball cricket.
Afridi expressed his astonishment at the PCB’s choice, especially coming just a day after Shaheen Afridi was replaced by Babar Azam.
Questioning the decision made by the selection committee, Afridi suggested Muhammad Rizwan as a potential alternative. Despite his reservations, Afridi assured his unwavering support for the Pakistan cricket team and Babar Azam.
The PCB’s decision to reappoint Babar Azam as captain for both T20 and ODI formats was made unanimously by the selection committee, headed by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
This decision follows Babar Azam’s earlier resignation from the captaincy after the team’s disappointing performance in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. During his absence, Shaheen Afridi took over the T20 captaincy while Shan Masood was appointed as the Test team captain.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to convene crisis talks on Monday after reports emerged that former captain Shaheen Shah Afridi denied making comments supporting the new skipper, Babar Azam, as quoted in a PCB statement.
The PCB statement said Shaheen Shah had “nothing but respect” for the returning skipper.
“I will try to help him on and off the field. We are all one,” Afridi was quoted as saying.
