Pakistan’s T20I captain Shaheen Afridi is facing uncertainty about his role after a lackluster performance in the PSL 9 with Lahore Qalandars.
Despite leading Lahore Qalandars to victory in the last two seasons of PSL, the left-arm pacer finds himself amidst scrutiny as his team crashed out of the playoff race after six consecutive losses.
They struggled to find form this season and secured only one win out of ten, ending as the bottom-ranked side with three points only.
Afridi’s captaincy came under scrutiny this season and has cast a shadow of speculation over his leadership role with the national team.
Speculations abound regarding potential leadership changes, with suggestions reaching PCB’s new chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
While some argue that the 23-year-old Shaheen Afridi lacks the maturity required for such a responsibility, others caution against disrupting the team dynamics so close to the World Cup, fearing a negative impact on performance.
The final decision regarding the captaincy rests with Naqvi, who has yet to engage in individual discussions with Shaheen or other players. However, the imminent series against New Zealand adds urgency to the decision-making process.
Should Shaheen be relieved of his captaincy, Mohammad Rizwan emerges as a frontrunner for the role, closely followed by former skipper Babar Azam, whose Peshawar Zalmi currently leads the PSL points table, with Rizwan’s Multan Sultans in a close second position.
Former all-rounder Wasim Akram has emphasized the importance of careful consideration in selecting the captain, advocating for a tenure of at least two years to effect meaningful improvement in Pakistan cricket.
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