Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has made a strong case for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to adopt a policy of having a single captain across all formats of the game. Afridi’s latest remarks come in light of recent changes in the leadership structure of the national team, where Babar Azam stepped down as captain of all formats after the team’s underperformance at the ODI World Cup.
Subsequently, Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi were appointed as Test and T20I captains, respectively. Afridi believes that having one captain would prevent internal conflicts over the captaincy and provide clear leadership within the team. He believes that this approach would also send a clear message to the players about who is in charge.
“The PCB must have one captain for all formats and there is no need to have a vice-captain. This will give a clear message to all players who is in charge,” Afridi told reporters.
Moreover, Afridi supports the idea of giving the captain and team management three-year contracts to ensure stability and allow them time to develop the team without the pressure of short-term results.
“If you think Muhammad Hafeez is good then don’t just judge him on one series give him proper time and the same should apply to the captain as well he should be there for three years.”
Afridi emphasized the importance of continuity and confidence amongst the players, especially in the lead-up to the World T20 Cup. The 46-year-old suggested that the current T20 squad should be given a long run to prepare for the upcoming tournament.
“The World T20 Cup is going to be a very tough tournament this year with some very strong teams in the hunt for the title. I also don’t think this is the time to make any changes in the format squad,” he said.
“We just need to continue with the same group of players and give them confidence. But yes I would like to see Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub open the batting in T20s,” he said.
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