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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI captain Shaheen Afridi hailed Mohammad Rizwan and spoke about their discussion before taking over the reins of the national side.
Shaheen replaced Rizwan as the captain of the 50-over side last month and led Pakistan to a 2-1 series triumph over South Africa.
Speaking on the eve of the ODI series opener against Sri Lanka, Shaheen talked about the discussion with the former skipper before taking the reins of the team.
“When I was captain earlier, I had spoken to Babar at that time about the whole situation. I won’t go into details about being removed, but when I was offered the captaincy again, Rizwan was the first person I spoke to. I asked him how he felt about it and what he thought,” he revealed in a press conference.
He lavished praise on Rizwan and stated that the wicket-keeper himself decided to step down from the role.
“Rizwan is a great person — he himself decided to step back. So yes, we discussed it before the final decision was made,” Shaheen told reporters.
Regarding ace batter Babar Azam’s form, Shaheen expressed confidence in the right-hander to shine against Sri Lanka, despite being unable to notch up a century in international cricket since 2023.
“Babar is not the kind of player who can be judged by one or two innings. He’s already finding his rhythm again, and Insha’Allah, I’m confident he’ll score a hundred very soon,” he explained.
“I don’t think playing in front of a home crowd adds pressure. In fact, when your own people cheer for you, it gives you confidence. Playing at home, in familiar conditions, with fans backing you — that’s the best feeling,” he concluded.
The first ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will begin tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second and third matches of the series will be played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on November 13 and 15.
