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Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi is reportedly not pleased with how the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handled the white-ball captaincy handover to Babar Azam. Apart from feeling a sense of injustice, the pacer is seemingly also fuming over the PCB's statement bearing his name that was put up on the press release after Babar being reinstated as skipper was confirmed.
According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, Afridi was on the verge of releasing a statement himself to make it clear that he had nothing to do with the quotes on the press release.
However, he was held back from doing so as the PCB held emergency talks with him. A second round of talks, seemingly to bury the issue for good and involving PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, has been scheduled for Sunday, April 1.
"I will always cherish the memories and the opportunity. As a team player, it is my duty to back our captain, Babar Azam. I have played under his captaincy and have nothing but respect for him. I will try to help him on and off the field. We are all one. Our aim is the same, to help Pakistan become the best team in the world," the words, which Afridi seems to deny are his, read on the press release.
The PCB chairman shockingly offered Babar Azam the white-ball captaincy roles in a radical move ahead of Pakistan's crucial bilateral assignments and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Despite initial reports mentioning some reservations on Babar's part, the ace batter has accepted the role and will hope for a fruitful second stint with a revamped backroom staff around him.
Babar Azam had relinquished captaincy across all formats after Pakistan's failure to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-finals. The red-ball leadership duties went to Shan Masood, while Shaheen Afridi was also thrust into the leadership unit.
Shaheen Afridi only won one match as Pakistan skipper
The youngster's first assignment as skipper was the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, for which he was even rested from the third Test against Australia. The Men in Green suffered a humbling 1-4 loss against the Blackcaps, narrowly avoiding a whitewash.
To make matters worse for Shaheen Afridi, he did not fare well as the captain of the Lahore Qalandars in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL). Aiming for a historic three-peat, the team only won one match the entire season and finished at the bottom of the table.
Despite Afridi's recent misfortunes, judging his ability through just one bilateral series seems quite harsh. The left-armer is said to be disappointed with the way the PCB have handled things regarding the call to switch captains, as well as the overall lack of communication during the decision-making process.
