Shahid Afridi backs Mohammad Rizwan’s appointment as white-ball captain

Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Shahid Afridi backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint Mohammad Rizwan as white-ball captain of the national men’s team.

Rizwan on Sunday, replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Rizwan’s first assignment as captain will be the white-ball series in Australia, starting on 4 November.

Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps.

As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.

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Meanwhile, legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi was thrilled that PCB entrusted wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan to lead the team. He expressed confidence in Rizwan’s ability to steer the white-ball side to new heights.

“If you’re searching for a captain who embodies strategy, fearlessness, positivity, energy and passion, look no further than Rizwan,” wrote Afridi on X, formerly Twitter.

“I’m thrilled that @TheRealPCB has entrusted him with this important responsibility. I have full confidence that he will propel this white-ball team forward and meet the high expectations of those who want to see Pakistan cricket thrive and succeed,” he added.

The 32-year-old wicket-keeper will kick off his captaincy tenure during the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

In his absence, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

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