Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has been removed from the ODI captaincy after a joint meeting of the selection and advisory committees on Monday. Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has been made the ODI captain of Pakistan in place of Rizwan.
Pakistan is currently hosting South Africa for a two-match Test series which will conclude on October 24 in Rawalpindi. The series will be followed by a 3-match T20I series, in which captain Salman Aga will lead the comparatively young Pakistan team.
The tour will proceed with a 3-match ODI series, which will be played between the two countries in Faisalabad on November 4. Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Mike Hesson and the PCB selection committee have had to make some tough choices ahead of the series.
Shaheen Afridi appointed as new ODI captain of Pakistan
The South Africa ODI series marks the beginning of preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup in South Africa in 2027. The Pakistan team was eliminated from the 2023 World Cup after failing to advance to the World Cup semi-finals, after concluding through a round-robin format.
Pakistan’s white-ball coach was apparently not happy with the previous leadership and had urged the PCB to call a joint meeting of the selection and advisory committee before the start of the white-ball series.
Former Pakistani captain Mohammad Rizwan, 33, was sacked and replaced by 25-year-old fast bowler Shaheen Afridi. The decision was announced soon after the conclusion of the first day of the second Test in Rawalpindi.
Mohammad Rizwan did not give any clarity on captaincy snub
According to ESPNcricinfo report, no clarity has been given on Rizwan’s removal from ODI captaincy; However, Pakistan’s failure in the ICC Champions Trophy and average performance in one-day bilateral matches can be cited as a reason.
The PCB did not even bother to mention the former captain in its statement. The decision was taken at a meeting scheduled by the PCB between Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and the selection committee in Islamabad on Monday.
However, the decision did not come as a surprise, as the PCB had issued a statement over the weekend refusing to confirm Rizwan as ODI captain ahead of the white-ball phase of South Africa’s home series. Reports also claimed that the initial gesture was from Rizwan to humiliate the former captain; However, it later received widespread support at higher levels.
Pakistan confident with three-format, three-captain approach
Pakistan now has three different captains in all three formats of the game. Salman Ali Aga will lead in T20Is, Shan Masood will lead in Tests, and Shaheen Afridi will lead in the 50-over format. Shaheen Afridi pulled off the captain’s armband in the format in which he looked best.
Last season, Shaheen Afridi was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs and was instrumental in their victories against South Africa and Australia. Since the last World Cup, with all teams playing a lot of ODIs due to multiple T20I commitments, Shaheen remains the leading wicket-taker in the game with 45 wickets since 2023.
Afridi’s first assignment will likely be in the white-ball series against South Africa, starting on November 4 in Faisalabad.
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