Shaheen Afridi Ready to Lead the Charge in ODI Series Against South Africa

After winning the T20Is, Pakistan is ready to challenge South Africa in the three-match ODI series. This will be an important contest, in which Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the national side for the first time in ODIs. He is confident to perform well in the series, giving Pakistan an early edge over the visitors.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Shaheen said that leading the Pakistan team is a great honor for him. He said that playing for Pakistan is a big achievement in itself, and that getting the opportunity to lead the side brings even more serious responsibility.

“It’s an honour for me to represent Pakistan as captain. Even as a player, wearing the national colours is always a matter of pride — but now, as captain, there’s an added sense of responsibility,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

He further highlighted the importance of international cricket returning to Faisalabad after a long period of time. He acknowledged that South Africa are a strong ODI side, so no half measures would be taken against them, as their experienced quality players can turn things around very quickly.

“InshaAllah, after 17 years, international cricket is returning to Faisalabad. We’ll be facing a strong side like South Africa, who have always played quality cricket. The team performed well in the T20 series, and the boys are in good touch. We’re hopeful for a strong performance in this series.” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The recent form of Pakistan in ODI cricket is not satisfactory, and Shaheen fully admits this fact. He has been appointed as captain after sacking Mohammad Rizwan recently. The green shirts have performed quite poorly in the ODIs this year. Their early exit from the Champions Trophy was a huge setback that sparked calls for a change in leadership.

Addressing this question in the press conference, Shaheen said that his focus is currently on improving the team’s performance in ODI cricket. He explained in clear words that he wants to serve Pakistan cricket with his full potential, so fulfilling the designated role is his top priority. He further said that leadership decisions are solely taken by higher management, and every player in the team has always respected them.

“Our job is to serve Pakistan cricket and fulfill whatever role we’re given. Leadership appointments are the management’s decisions, and we respect that. My focus right now is on improving our one-day cricket and leading the team from the front,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

During the last tour of New Zealand, there were rumors that Shaheen had asserted himself in the decision-making regarding batting order positions. The star pacer completely denied these claims, saying that no such thing happened on the tour and that decisions are never taken by any player single-handedly.

“No, I never did anything like that in New Zealand, perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding. As captain, I always tried to send players according to their proper batting positions. But a captain can’t make decisions alone, management and support staff are always involved. Cricket is a team game; decisions are made collectively. If it were just about individual choices, maybe I would’ve played differently,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The captain then answered the question regarding the form of Babar Azam. He backed the star batter by describing his performances for Pakistan over the past few years. He is therefore confident that Babar can play big match-winning innings for Pakistan, as he has the potential to do that by regaining his batting form.

“For the past four or five years, Babar has been one of our most consistent performers, he’s been the top scorer in both T20Is and ODIs. He has the ability to play big innings, and our other players are also capable of match-winning performances,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa is starting from November 4. All the matches will be played in Faisalabad at the iconic Iqbal Cricket Stadium. It would be interesting to see how South Africa will take on Pakistan in the ODI matches, as the home team is currently flying high with confidence after winning the T20I series comprehensively.