Former Pakistani fast bowler Umar Gul has come forward to express his support for Shaheen Afridi following the latter’s removal from the captaincy ahead of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
Babar Azam, who relinquished the captaincy across all formats after Pakistan’s disappointing outing in the ODI World Cup 2023, has been reinstated as the captain of the white-ball team.
Umar Gul, while talking to a local news outlet, shed light on the potential impact of such decisions on Shaheen Afridi’s performance.
Acknowledging Afridi’s resilient mindset, Gul expressed confidence that the young cricketer would respond positively to the situation.
“Being a professional, his performance shouldn’t be affected by this decision, and I still believe Shaheen will take this positively; he is never negative, and obviously, it’s the board’s decision that should be accepted,” Gul remarked.
“Everyone wants to perform for the team, whether as a captain or as a player, so I don’t think Shaheen will take this too seriously,” he added.
Gul also advised Shaheen Afridi to concentrate on his own performance. “Shaheen is Pakistan’s premier bowler; he should concentrate on his performance, and he will have more time for that now.
He continued, emphasizing the multifaceted challenges of captaincy, which extend beyond on-field strategic planning.
“Captaincy comes with its own set of challenges; there’s immense pressure, responsibilities towards players, media interactions, and numerous decisions both on and off the field.
“Therefore, I am optimistic that Shaheen will approach this setback with resilience. He should focus on delivering stellar performances, just as he has done for Pakistan in the past,” Gul concluded.
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