'Good human': Shaheen Afridi breaks silence on Mohammad Rizwan's Pakistan captaincy sack

Shaheen Shah Afridi revealed he accepted Pakistan's ODI captaincy after Mohammad Rizwan voluntarily stepped down. Afridi emphasized a collaborative approach, seeking advice from all, including former captains, and stressed collective team responsibility for improvement. He aims to lead Pakistan in the 2027 World Cup, backing both in-form and struggling players.

Muhammad Rizwan (L) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (R) prior to the start of day two of the Second Test in the series between Pakistan and South Africa at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 21, 2025 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (Getty Images)

Pakistan's ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi revealed on Monday that he accepted the captaincy only after discussions with former captain Mohammad Rizwan, who voluntarily stepped down from the position. Afridi, who previously served as T20I captain before being dismissed after one series, shared insights about the leadership transition and his approach to captaincy. Afridi disclosed that Rizwan was the sole person he consulted before accepting the role, and Rizwan willingly made way for him.

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"I took this responsibility from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after discussing the matter with Rizwan," Afridi told the media. "Rizwan was the only person I had a discussion with and I asked him how he felt about me accepting the captaincy. Rizwan is a good human being, and he decided himself that he would make way for me, and that is how things worked out." Afridi's previous stint as T20I captain lasted less than six months after taking over from Babar Azam, who had resigned following Pakistan's poor performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023. During this period, Afridi led only one T20I series against New Zealand before being replaced by Babar. The 25-year-old Pakistani pacer expressed his collaborative leadership approach and commitment to team improvement. "I have no ego and I talk to everyone for advice, even our former captains. I don't look at things that happened in the past," he stated. "Everyone has to take responsibility if you want to improve as a team. You can't keep on saying Babar, Rizwan or Fakhar will do it, it is as a team we have to click and take responsibility." Afridi emphasized his support for both in-form and struggling players, noting Rizwan's strong performance as Pakistan's leading run-scorer in one-day matches since 2023. "As far as Rizwan is concerned, he is Pakistan's top-scorer in one-dayers since 2023. We are trying to back players who are not in form so that they can do well in future matches," Afridi remarked. "As far as Rizwan is concerned, he is Pakistan's top-scorer in one-dayers since 2023. We are trying to back players who are not in form so that they can do well in future matches. Babar can falter in one or two matches but he is in good touch and I hope he will score a hundred soon," he said. While the Pakistan Cricket Board hasn't specified his captaincy tenure, Afridi expressed his aspiration to lead the team in the 2027 World Cup.

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