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The PCB has firmly refuted any claims of extending the vice-captaincy role to Shaheen Afridi for the T20 World Cup. This response followed speculation suggesting that Shaheen had turned down an offer from the PCB to serve as vice-captain.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has dismissed any suggestion of offering Shaheen Afridi the vice-captaincy position for the forthcoming T20 World Cup. PCB officials expressed surprise at reports indicating Shaheen’s rejection of the deputy role. Additionally, Babar Azam was reaffirmed as the captain for the Pakistan team preceding the series against New Zealand. Meanwhile, Shaheen’s vice-captaincy was rescinded following the conclusion of the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand in January.
Pakistan revealed their T20 World Cup squad on May 24, Friday, with Babar Azam appointed as the captain of the 15-member lineup. Despite this, the PCB chose not to designate a vice-captain, sparking rumors that Shaheen Afridi had turned down the board’s offer. However, PCB officials clarified in a statement that several selectors had advocated against appointing a deputy to Babar.
“The selectors were taken aback by this development because during their nearly two-hour online meeting on Friday, six out of seven selectors were against the idea of having a vice-captain alongside Babar Azam,” a source close to one of the national selectors told PTI. “The minutes of the meeting have been documented as per the instructions of the PCB Chairman. Therefore, today’s reports of Shaheen declining the vice-captaincy came as a significant surprise to the selectors,” the source added.
Shaheen lost his captaincy due to his inability to effectively lead the team.
Some external influences were blamed for tarnishing the reputation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the selectors. “Shaheen clearly expressed his discontent when his captaincy tenure was abruptly ended following just one series in New Zealand in January,” the insider revealed. Shaheen was appointed as the captain for the limited-overs format after Babar relinquished leadership across all three formats following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, Shaheen’s captaincy was terminated just two months prior to the T20 World Cup following Pakistan’s 1-4 defeat in a five-match series against New Zealand.
Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim Mohammad, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
