In a light-hearted yet noteworthy revelation, cricket legend Shahid Afridi expressed a preference for Mohammad Rizwan over Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I captain. The comments were made during an event in Australia, where Afridi commended Rizwan’s hard work, focus, and fighting spirit.
Afridi, addressing Shaheen Shah Afridi, suggested that Rizwan would be a better fit for the T20I captaincy, indicating that the appointment of Shaheen might have been a mistake. The crowd responded with laughter, and players on the stage, including Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen, shared smiles.
“[I admire Rizwan’s] hardwork and focus level. His best quality, which I like most, is only focusing on his game and paying no heed to who doing what and what not. He is really a fighter!” Afridi said.
“I want to see him [Rizwan] as the T20 captain but mistakenly, Shaheen became the skipper,”
Shaheen Shah Afridi had taken over the T20I captaincy from Babar Azam in November, boasting an impressive record of 64 wickets in 52 T20Is. Notably, he also led Lahore Qalandars to victory in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in both 2022 and 2023.
This isn’t the first time Afridi has questioned Shaheen’s captaincy, having earlier revealed discouraging him from accepting the Lahore Qalandars captaincy, advising him to focus on his bowling instead.
Afridi’s preference for Rizwan as captain reflects admiration for the batter’s qualities and dedication to the game. The event in Australia provided a platform for Afridi to share his views on the T20I captaincy, and the reactions of Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen highlighted the friendly atmosphere.
While Shaheen’s successful stint as Lahore Qalandars captain adds to his leadership credentials, Afridi’s comments inject humor into the ongoing discussion about the T20I captaincy, emphasizing the camaraderie and banter within the cricketing fraternity. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s captaincy role, which replaced the prominent batting figure Babar Azam, continues to be a topic of interest and discussion in Pakistani cricket circles.
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