Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has stepped up to defend his son-in-law, Shaheen Shah Afridi, amid swirling rumours regarding his potential removal as the national T20I captain.
Afridi emphasized the disruptive effects of frequent changes in leadership within the cricket board, advocating for stability in decision-making.
Recent speculations suggest that the PCB could replace Shaheen Afridi ahead of the T20 World Cup, with Babar Azam regaining the captaincy role.
However, Shahid Afridi, Shaheen’s father-in-law, threw his support behind the 24-year-old, stressing the importance of providing sufficient time for a captain to showcase his capabilities.
“I think that if you have appointed someone as captain (Shaheen) and given him the responsibility then give him time as well,” Afridi stated.
“The biggest problem with our cricket is that our system changes whenever the faces change in the board. Whoever comes thinks whatever he is doing is the best for Pakistan cricket.”
“If you change the captain then either the decision to appoint him was wrong or the decision to change him now is wrong,” he added.
Shaheen Afridi was appointed as the national T20 captain following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup 2023. However, the team faced a setback with a 1-4 defeat in the T20I series against New Zealand under his leadership.
Critics questioned Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy following Lahore Qalandars’ lacklustre performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9. The defending champions managed just one win out of ten matches, finishing at the bottom of the table.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently hinted at possible alterations in Pakistan’s captaincy, indicating that Shaheen Afridi’s tenure as T20I captain would be assessed following the conclusion of the national camp in Kakul on April 8.
While the cricket board initially considered Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for the captaincy role, recent developments have shifted the focus back to Babar as the primary candidate for captaincy.
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