Shahid Afridi 'surprised' by Babar Azam's return as captain

Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi has called for appointing batter Muhammad Rizwan as the captain of the national side following the sacking of Shaheen Afridi, ARY News reported.

“I am surprised by the decision by very experienced cricketers in the selection committee. I still believe that if change was necessary than Rizwan was the best choice!,” said Afridi in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

However, he said, that he extended full support to Babar Azam after his reappointment as the white-ball captain.

“Since now the decision has been made I offer my full support and best wishes to team Pakistan and Babar Azam,” Shahid Afridi added.

I am surprised by the decision by very experienced cricketers in the selection committee. I still believe that if change was necessary than Rizwan was the best choice! But since now the decision has been made I offer my full support and best wishes to team Pakistan and Babar…

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) March 31, 2024

Earlier today, the star batter was reappointed as Pakistan captain in the white ball cricket ahead of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand on home soil.

Read more: PCB opens up on removing Shaheen Afridi as T20I captain

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took to X  and announced that “following unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team.”

The PCB revealed that the decision to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi from the captaincy role was driven by their commitment to effectively manage player workloads, thereby sustaining peak performance levels.

“While Shaheen Afridi has undeniably proven himself as a star fast bowler, leading Pakistan’s pace attack over the years, the board recognises the importance of rotation and rest to maintain his peak performance,” it said.

Afridi took over the captaincy of the T20I team after Babar Azam resigned from his role as all-format captain following the national team’s dismal performance in the ODI World Cup in India last year.

However, his tenure as Pakistan’s captain was short-lived in which he led the national side in only one series at the international level. The Greenshirts were defeated 4-1 by New Zealand in a T20I series.