Last Update on: November 15th, 2023 at 09:08 pm
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Shaheen Afridi as the new T20I captain of Pakistan National Cricket Team and Shan Masood has been handed the leadership duties of Test cricket.
This comes after the resignation of Babar Azam as the all-format captain. PCB sacked Babar Azam as the white-ball captain after the World Cup disaster but asked him to continue as the red-ball captain. However, Babar Azam consulted his family and decided to relinquish the all-format captaincy.
In an official statement issued by the PCB, Zaka Ashraf labeled Babar as a world-class player and was hopeful of him reaching new heights as a batter after quitting the captaincy. He elaborated:
“Babar Azam is truly a world-class player and we want him to continue to thrive as a player. He is one of the best batters Pakistan has ever produced. He is our asset, and we will continue to support him. His batting prowess is a testament to his dedication and skill. He is a role model for the present generation.
“We want to see him grow as a great batter and now without his additional burden of the captaincy, he can focus more on his performances to reach even greater heights. We respect his decision and will continue to back him.”
PCB Hands Leadership To Shaheen Afridi And Shan Masood
After the resignation of Babar Azam, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) handed the T20I captaincy to Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm quick is a highly successful captain as he has led the Lahore Qalandars to back-to-back titles in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Shan Masood, on the other hand, is a promising player and it will be a huge responsibility for him to lead Pakistan in red-ball cricket following the poor performances of the Test team in the last home season. No ODI skipper has been named as of yet.
“Presenting our captains 🇵🇰@shani_official has been appointed Test captain while @iShaheenAfridi will lead the T20I side,” Pakistan Cricket Board posted on X.
Presenting our captains 🇵🇰@shani_official has been appointed Test captain while @iShaheenAfridi will lead the T20I side. pic.twitter.com/wPSebUB60m
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 15, 2023
Under Babar Azam’s leadership, Pakistan played 43 ODIs and won 26 while losing 15. In T20Is, Babar Azam led Pakistan to 42 wins out of 71 matches with the side suffering losses in 23 matches. Also, he led Pakistan in 20 Tests, out of which the side won 10 and lost 6.
