After Babar Azam’s resignation as captain in all formats following Pakistan’s disappointing World Cup campaign, Shaheen Afridi was appointed T20I captain, sparking speculation of lobbying by Shahid Afridi, Shaheen’s father-in-law. However, Shahid Afridi has refuted these claims, emphasizing that he never sought Shaheen’s captaincy and preferred Mohammad Rizwan for white-ball formats. Afridi also expressed his desire for Babar to continue leading the Test team.
“Shaheen as captain” is a decision made by Mohammad Hafeez and the PCB chairman, according to Shahid Afridi, who clarified his lack of involvement in lobbying for Shaheen’s captaincy. Addressing the rumors of dressing room tensions, Afridi stated on Samaa TV, “I have always wanted to keep Shaheen away from the captaincy.”
Afridi asserted his support for Babar Azam, mentioning that he advised the PCB chairman against removing Babar from the captaincy role. He revealed his preference for Mohammad Rizwan as the white-ball captain while advocating for Babar to lead the test team.
Babar Azam had announced his resignation through a statement on X (formerly Twitter) after meeting PCB chief Zakar Ashraf in Lahore. In the same meeting, former captain Mohammad Hafeez was appointed as team director, succeeding Mickey Arthur in the new set-up. Babar expressed that stepping down was a difficult decision but believed it was the right time, assuring his continued representation of Pakistan as a player in all three formats.
