MULTAN: Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Afridi has addressed question about his captaincy ahead of the ICC World Cup 2027.
Addressing the media in a jointly held press conference with Champions Cup teams captains, Shaheen was asked whether he had been given an assurance that he would remain Pakistan’s captain until World Cup given the frequent changes in the leadership.
“For now, I am the captain,” he replied.
He also highlighted the importance of the Champions Cup, saying that they had faced a lot of injury problems in the past.
“Whenever we go to a World Cup, we face a lot of injuries. In case, if there are any injuries before the [World Cup] so that we already have players available. The [tournament pool] will make it easier for us to find replacements,” he explained.
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“This tournament will give everyone an opportunity to play according to their respective positions,” Shaheen explained.
The left-arm pacer described the Champions Cup as a platform to prepare for the upcoming World Cup,, stressing the importance of both individual and team performances.
“All the players will try to put in good performances. As I said, our focus is on the World Cup. Besides individual performances, the performances and fitness of other players will also be assessed,” he continued.
“It will also be very important in terms of the cricket we will play in the coming days,” Shaheen concluded.
The National Champions Cup will begin tomorrow at the Multan Cricket Stadium, featuring four teams competing in a single round-robin format, with Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues and Pakistan Gold all playing each other once.
The top two teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the final, scheduled to be played on August 18.
Earlier today, the trophy unveiling ceremony was also held, attended by the captains of the four participating teams, Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan Gold, Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan Blues, Saim Ayub of Pakistan Whites and Faheem Ashraf, who filled in for Pakistan Greens’ skipper Shadab Khan.
