Moin Khan criticizes PCB for removing Shaheen Afridi as captain
Former Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan has expressed his disapproval of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to sack Shaheen Afridi as T20I captain. This move came after a disappointing 1-4 series loss against New Zealand under Afridi's leadership earlier this year. However, Khan believes that this action was unjust and has publicly voiced his support for Afridi. Here are further details.
Afridi's brief journey as captain
As mentioned, Afridi's only assignment as Pakistan's T20I skipper resulted in a 1-4 defeat against New Zealand earlier this year. He was replaced by Babar Azam, who had stepped down as all-format captain following his side's poor campaign at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. However, under Babar's leadership, Pakistan had a horrendous run in the 2024 T20 WC.
Khan advocates for long-term captaincy assurance
Khan has urged the PCB to stop frequently changing captains and instead, appoint a single individual for all three formats of the game. He emphasized that constant changes in leadership or having multiple captains could lead to insecurity among team members. "Players may not listen to their captain if there are constant changes," Khan told PTI.
Khan's endorsement of Afridi's leadership skills
Khan also praised Afridi's leadership skills and his popularity among team members. "Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players," he said. He also stated that in white-ball cricket, he doesn't see anyone else suitable for the role other than Afridi, further underscoring his support for the young cricketer.
Khan's view on future leadership prospects
Khan also touched upon the issue of succession planning in the team. He suggested that while Mohammad Rizwan could be a good short-term captain, there is a need to groom a young cricketer for future leadership roles. "We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy," he observed, highlighting an area of improvement for PCB's strategy.
