Pakistan's left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has opened up about the circumstances leading to his appointment as the ODI captain. He took over the leadership role from Mohammad Rizwan on October 20, following a mutual discussion between the two players. Afridi emphasized that the decision was reached through direct conversation with Rizwan, who willingly stepped aside to make way for the new captain. In his debut series as full-time skipper, Afridi led Pakistan to a series victory against South Africa in a three-match ODI assignment. He stressed the importance of collective responsibility within the team, stating that success cannot depend on a few individuals alone. Afridi also clarified that players like Rizwan, who remains Pakistan's top ODI scorer since 2023, will continue to receive backing and adequate opportunities to regain form.
Mutual Decision and Team Responsibility
Afridi revealed that his captaincy appointment came after discussing the matter with the Pakistan Cricket Board and Rizwan. He shared that Rizwan was the only person he consulted before accepting the role, asking how he felt about the change. Rizwan voluntarily decided to step down from captaincy duties. Afridi emphasized that team improvement requires everyone to take responsibility, not just rely on players like Babar, Rizwan, or Fakhar. He highlighted that Rizwan has been Pakistan's top-scorer in ODIs since 2023 and assured that the team management is backing players currently out of form. In the series against South Africa, Afridi took three wickets across three matches, leading Pakistan to victories in the first and third ODIs.
Source: Link