It has been confirmed that Shaheen Afridi will now not captain the Pakistani workforce within the shortest format as PCB has re-appointed Babar Azam as captain of the white ball workforce. Babar will resume captaining the Inexperienced Military in ODIs and T20Is whereas Shan Masood has been retained because the Check captain. However why did the board sack Shaheen from the management position?
In keeping with trusted sources from the PCB, the board has clarified its stance to Shaheen Afridi that they need to see a batsman lead the workforce of their white-ball affairs.
The Mohsin Naqvi-led administration is of the view {that a} bowler may not have the ability to deal with the workforce within the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as higher as a batsman. Due to this fact, Babar Azam, who had stepped down from the position himself in November 2023, was introduced again for the white-ball workforce.
This improvement about Babar Azam’s re-appointment was confirmed by the PCB by a submit on social media platform X (previously Twitter) earlier right now.
Going by the identical studies from our inner sources, all of it occurred after the chief choice committee led by Wahab Riaz visited the continuing coaching camp held on the military regiment of Kakul in Abbottabad the place Shaheen Afridi hoped to get some excellent news.
Shaheen Afridi was sacked solely after a sequence of captaining the workforce in New Zealand
It was the chief selectors who knowledgeable Shaheen Afridi about their want to see him faraway from captaincy. He had a horrible first-ever sequence as captain once they toured to New Zealand 2 months in the past for a T20I sequence proper after enduring a 3-0 loss in the course of the Check sequence in Australia. That was the primary time in 4 years that Babar Azam was not working within the management position.
In New Zealand, the Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistani workforce was hammered 4-1 within the T20I sequence and that’s probably the explanation why PCB determined to sack him. Additionally it is being stated that Afridi is sad with the best way captaincy was snatched from him, that too, with out giving a strong cause.
However now that it has been confirmed, Babar Azam will head over to the USA and the West Indies as captain within the ICC T20 World Cup for the third time in a row.
Babar Azam mentioned together with his father earlier than reaching an settlement with the PCB
It was additionally reported that Babar Azam had a critical session together with his father as as to if he ought to settle for the supply from PCB or not. The star batsman has all the time taken his father’s recommendation earlier than making any main transfer in his cricketing profession which started in 2015.
4 years after his debut, Babar’s efficiency was such that he was provided captaincy for the primary time in his profession and since then he hasn’t regarded again.
Furthermore, studies have additionally claimed that Babar’s shut associates had suggested him to not resume captaincy till he was given assurance that it wouldn’t be a short-term determination.
His associates’ main concern was that if Pakistan undergoes a poor T20 World Cup in June like they endured within the 50-over WC final yr, then PCB would possibly need to substitute him.
And that’s one thing that has occurred earlier than as nicely however now that Babar has made a comeback within the management position, the board would have agreed to his demand.
In the meantime, the 29-year-old will start his second stint because the skipper with the 5-match T20I sequence in opposition to New Zealand on dwelling soil from 18th April onwards.
The Inexperienced Military will then head over to Eire and England for a 3-match and 4-match T20I sequence later this Could. It should now be fascinating to see how Shaheen Afridi performs beneath Babar’s captaincy.
