(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] Former cricketer Shahid Afridi, who is also the father-in-law of current Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, recently addressed speculations regarding his alleged involvement in promoting the latter as the T20I captain of the national team.
Shaheen was announced as the captain of the T20I team of Pakistan on Wednesday after Babar Azam stepped down from his role on the same day. This move sparked discussions among netizens, with some suggesting Shahid Afridi had influenced Shaheen’s promotion.
However, Shahid Afridi clarified his stance during an interview on Samaa TV. He stated that he played no part in advocating for Shaheen’s captaincy. Shahid Afridi shared that during discussions with the Pakistan Prime Minister, he expressed the view that it would be beneficial for Babar to continue as the captain in Test cricket, while Mohammad Rizwan could lead the team in the white-ball format.
“I was saying that there was no need to change the captain so soon. Prime Minister asked me, if we were talking about cricket and captaincy. I gave my views, saying Babar should not be changed now. I thought he should continue in Test cricket. If you wanted a white-ball captain, I thought Mohammad Rizwan should have been the ideal candidate. I have said this many times in the past as well,” Shahid Afridi said as quoted on Samaa TV.
He further revealed discussions with the PCB chairman, advocating for Babar as the red-ball captain and proposing Rizwan for limited-overs leadership. Shahid Afridi attributed Shaheen’s captaincy decision to newly-appointed Director of Cricket Mohammad Hafeez and the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, distancing himself from the lobbying allegations against Babar
“I talked to the PCB chairman also. I told them that Babar Azam should continue as the red-ball captain. I told him that one day and T20I captaincy could be given to Mohammad Rizwan. He was captaining Multan Sultans also. He knows how to take the team forward. I would say that this is Mohammad Hafeez’s decision along with the chairman,” he added.
Regarding his involvement in Shaheen’s captaincy appointment, he asserted, “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 don’t want to get involved in these things. I would not have criticized the chairman if that was the case. I am saying with certainty that till today, I have never backed Shaheen for captaincy.”