Ex-captain Shahid Afridi has reservations regarding PCB’s decision regarding Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as captain earlier this year. Speaking at a conference hosted by Arts Council Karachi, Afridi mentioned: “Mohammad Rizwan would have been best suited as successor for Babar Azam as far as his captaincy is concerned and consistency is concerned.”
Also, Afridi was critical of the removal of Shaheen as captain after a single series, as there should be time allowed for younger players like Shaheen to adjust to this responsibility. “I wasn’t in favor of Shaheen’s appointment as captain. After Babar, Rizwan was the best option. Once you appoint someone, though, you must back them and allow time for them to grow into the role,” said Afridi.
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It also refers to the misery of frequent changes in leadership in Pakistan cricket, attributing the concern to management reshuffles. “It is just that everything changes with the new chairman taking charge. This continues and disrupts the journey of the team,” he said in an address.
Shahid Afridi, on the one hand, appreciated the skills and performance of Shaheen Afridi but, on the other, criticized the wasted talent in Pakistan cricket due to a lack of proper nurturing. He further suggested keeping the cement wickets in Karachi, which he thinks has produced some of Pakistan’s best batsmen. “Cement wickets have been indeed important in molding the technique rather and strength of our players. It is a tradition that shouldn’t be abandoned,” Afridi concluded.