Shaheen Afridi Finally Addresses Talk of Replacing Mohammad Rizwan as Captain

Pakistan is currently preparing to face Sri Lanka in the ODI series starting from November 11. The skipper of Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, is feeling confident to get a good start in the first game. He recently won his first international series as captain when Pakistan defeated South Africa by 2-1 in ODIs.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the first match in Rawalpindi, Shaheen Shah Afridi addressed a question about replacing Mohammad Rizwan as the ODI captain. He explained that the decision to take up the captaincy was made after he consulted the former captain personally. This clarifies that both players were on the same page when the board announced Shaheen as the new ODI captain.

“When I was captain earlier, I had spoken to Babar at that time about the whole situation. I won’t go into details about being removed, but when I was offered the captaincy again, Rizwan was the first person I spoke to. I asked him how he felt about it and what he thought,” revealed Shaheen Shah Afridi at the pre-match press conference.

This statement underlines the fact that the trio of Babar, Shaheen, and Rizwan have a good understanding and bonding with each other. They have been part of the national team for a long time, which has helped cultivate a strong sense of mutual understanding between them.

Speaking further about the captaincy, Shaheen revealed that Mohammad Rizwan himself decided to step down from the role. Due to this brave decision, he praised Rizwan’s character, saying that he is a great person who always puts the team before himself.

“Rizwan is a great person; he himself decided to step back. So yes, we discussed it before the final decision was made,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Regarding the question of Babar Azam, Shaheen expressed full confidence in the star batter by saying that he is finding his rhythm quickly. He explained that players like him do not become bad after just one or two poor innings. He expects Babar to score big hundreds in the upcoming games, as he is currently playing with a positive mindset.

“Babar is not the kind of player who can be judged by one or two innings. He’s already finding his rhythm again, and Insha’Allah, I’m confident he’ll score a hundred very soon,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Speaking about the importance of playing at home grounds, the skipper said that it does not add any pressure on his team. He added that playing in front of the home crowd gives them more confidence, as everyone backs the national side during the match.

“I don’t think playing in front of a home crowd adds pressure. In fact, when your own people cheer for you, it gives you confidence. Playing at home, in familiar conditions, with fans backing you, that’s the best feeling,” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Starting from tomorrow, Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series in Rawalpindi. The home side is confident to deliver a strong performance in this series as well, just like they won the last one against South Africa convincingly.