Image Credit- AFP
Shaheen Shah Afridi,
the recently ousted captain of Pakistan, described leading the team as “an
honour” on the same day that it was revealed Babar Azam had taken over as
captain. Declaring that they both had the same goals, he called it “my
duty to back Babar Azam”.
Following a public process in which PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi repeatedly
refused to support Shaheen, the PCB officially announced that Babar had been
named T20I and ODI captain once again, ending the fast bowler’s one-series
reign as captain. Relationships within the team would undoubtedly strain, thus
the PCB sent a press release in which Shaheen and Babar expressed their support
for one another in an effort to put the whole saga behind them.
“I will always
cherish the memories and the opportunity,” Afridi said. “As a team
player, it is my duty to back our captain, Babar Azam. I have played under his
captaincy and have nothing but respect for him. I will try to help him on and off
the field. We are all one. Our aim is the same, to help Pakistan become the
best team in the world.”
Babar called it
“a pleasure” to play under Shaheen in that solitary New Zealand
series. “He is still young and is improving as a player and as a leader
every day,” Babar said. “As a captain, I have always valued his input
and I will keep consulting him for important decisions going forward. We must
take advantage of his strategic understanding of the game.”
While the decision
is difficult to read as anything other than a swift loss of faith in Shaheen’s
leadership capabilities, the PCB attributed the captaincy U-turn to workload
management. “While Shaheen Afridi has undeniably proven himself as a star fast
bowler, leading Pakistan’s pace attack over the years, the board recognises the
importance of rotation and rest to maintain his peak performance. This decision
aligns with board’s commitment to safeguarding the longevity of the players,
especially fast bowlers given their injury timelines in the past two
years.”