Shaheen Shah Afridi’s tenure as captain of Lahore Qalandars in this season’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been disappointing, with only one victory secured under his leadership. Reports suggest that there’s a possibility of Muhammad Rizwan taking charge of the national T20 team before the upcoming T20 World Cup in June.
According to sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), there have been discussions recommending a change in captaincy for the National T20 side as the World Cup approaches. With just three points accumulated, this season marks the second-worst points tally in PSL history, only surpassed by Babar Azam’s Karachi Kings, who managed only two points in PSL 2022.
Certain members of the PCB’s leadership believe that Shaheen may be too young to lead the team in the T20 World Cup, while others are concerned about potential disruptions to team harmony if the 23-year-old is replaced. Shaheen’s captaincy has come under scrutiny due to Lahore Qalandars’ poor performance in PSL, as well as Pakistan’s recent struggles against New Zealand in January, where they only managed to secure one win out of five matches, ultimately losing the T20I series 4-1.
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In addition, Shaheen’s lackluster performance during the Test series against Australia in January has raised further doubts. Pakistan’s premier speedster appeared out of sorts against the Australian batters.
Pakistan’s World Cup journey is set to commence on June 6 against hosts USA, with a highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals India scheduled for June 9 at Eisenhower Park, New York. Following that, they will face Canada and Ireland in their group matches. It’s worth noting that this year’s T20 World Cup will feature a record 20 teams, with each group comprising five teams.
