For all three versions, Pakistan must have a single captain: Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, a former captain, has pushed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to designate a single captain for each of the game’s three formats. Notably, PCB management appointed Shan Masood as the Test captain and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the leader of the T20I team after Babar Azam opted to resign as the team’s captain after a dismal showing in the ODI World Cup. Nevertheless, the ODI team’s captain has not yet been revealed.

Shahid Afridi added that the team does not yet require the appointment of a vice captain.

Shahid Afridi expects the other players to recognize that the captain is the sole one in command and wants him to have an unrestricted role in the locker room. “There is no need for a vice captain; the PCB needs just one captain for all formats. This will send a strong message to all players who hold authority,” NDTV cited Afridi as saying.

In T20s, I would prefer to see Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman open the batting.

The 46-year-old gave team director Mohammad Hafeez his full backing as well. The former cricket player stated that Hafeez and the captains shouldn’t be evaluated based on one or two series and should be given at least three years to turn the tide in Pakistan’s favor. This is because the team management is under a lot of pressure following a humiliating defeat at the hands of Australia and New Zealand.

“If you think Mohammad Hafeez is good, don’t assess him based only on one series; give him enough time. The captain should also be there for three years. This year’s World T20 Cup promises to be an extremely competitive event, with several elite teams vying for the championship. Additionally, I don’t believe that the format of the squad needs to be changed at this moment.

“All we have to do is stick with the same group of players and give them encouragement.” However, he continued, “I would prefer to see Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman open the batting in the Twenty20s.”