Shahid Afridi Reveals His Choice for Pakistan’s Next T20I Captain After World Cup

Shahid Afridi believes the Pakistan team may have a new captain after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2026. In his opinion, Shadab Khan would not be a bad choice for the team’s captaincy, provided he performs consistently with both bat and ball.

Currently, Salman Ali Agha is leading the national team in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Unfortunately, the team is on the brink of elimination from the tournament, as beating Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 65 runs looks highly unlikely.

Speaking to the media, Shahid Afridi said that if Mike Hesson continues as coach, Shadab Khan could become the next man to lead Pakistan in the T20 format.

“If the same coach [Mike Hesson] continues, then in my opinion, Shadab Khan will be appointed as captain,” said Shahid Afridi.

He further added that the Pakistan team does not have much options on the table, so Shadab looks like a good candidate to lead the team in the shortest format of the game.

“Shadab is not a bad choice for captaincy because we do not have many other options at the moment,” said Shahid Afridi.

“However, if Shadab had maintained consistency in his bowling, the way he was performing earlier, it would have strengthened his case,” added Shahid Afridi.

Afridi also said that if Shadab is appointed as captain, he will need to justify his selection through consistent performances. According to him, that is a fundamental requirement of captaincy, as no team can progress with a player who fails to provide a spark through his own performances.

“As captain, we also need him to contribute regularly with his performances so that when someone talks about him, it will be worth mentioning.  Appoint him as captain, but he will have to perform,” concluded Shahid Afridi.