Shaheen Afridi to push Mohammad Rizwan aside; huge change in Pakistan ODI team expected ahead of South Africa series

The Pakistan cricket team is looking to overhaul its leadership core. There were reports of the management thinking about changing the T20I captain after the team’s humiliating 3-0 defeat against Pakistan in the latest edition of the Asia Cup. Now, the latest reports claim that Pakistan’s ODI leadership could be on the move too. Multiple reports have claimed that Mohammad Rizwan’s captaincy is under review, with the left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi, emerging as the frontrunner for the role.

Officially, nothing has been confirmed yet. The PCB has indicated the ODI captain for South Africa will be decided after the committee meetings this week, so this remains a developing story and not a confirmed announcement.

However, even the strongest talks around change in captaincy suggests that Rizwan would remain central as wicketkeeper-batter. The board’s public stance, again, is that the captaincy call is pending. An announcement is expected, either confirming the status quo or installing a new skipper, only after the October 20 meetings.

Saturday’s reports also touched on likely squad tweaks around the ODI squad, with names like Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris in the discussion for continuity.

Why Rizwan faces the heat?

Notably, Mohammad Rizwan was formally appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain in October 2024; in March 2025, the PCB retained him as ODI skipper while naming Salman Agha T20I captain. Since then, Rizwas has led Pakistan in 20 ODIs with a 9-11 win-loss record (45% win rate).

These numbers explain the talk around Rizwan’s role. Pakistan’s ODI form in 2025 has included series and tri-series setbacks, leaving selectors to balance continuity against a rest ahead of November ODIs in South Africa. Also, with around 19 ODI matches left ahead of the ODI World Cup in 2027, this seems the right time to make the changes in the leadership if they are thinking about one.

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