Shahid Afridi expressed his preference for Babar Azam to continue as the Test captain, distancing himself from any endorsement of Shaheen Afridi for T20I captaincy. Following Pakistan’s disappointment in the 2023 World Cup, Babar resigned from captaincy across all formats, paving the way for Shaheen Shah Afridi in T20Is and Shan Masood in Tests.
Afridi, in a conversation with Samaa TV, revealed discussions with PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf about the future of Pakistan cricket. He advocated for Babar’s retention as Test captain and suggested Mohammad Rizwan for captaincy, emphasizing that these recommendations were made in consultation with Director of Cricket Mohammad Hafeez.
Addressing criticism on social media, Afridi clarified his stance, denying any favoritism toward his son-in-law, Shaheen. He recounted advising against abrupt changes, emphasizing his belief in Babar’s continuity in red-ball cricket and recommending Rizwan for white-ball captaincy.
Highlighting that decisions were collaborative, involving Hafeez and the chairman, Afridi asserted his non-involvement in Shaheen’s T20 captaincy, aiming to avoid perceptions of bias. He affirmed, “In terms of Shaheen becoming the T20 captain, I never wanted to get involved in any such decisions because I know people will say I am lobbying for Shaheen, considering his relationship with me, I am saying with certainty that till today, I have never backed Shaheen for captaincy.”
