Shaheen Shah Afridi Addresses Captaincy Speculation: ‘I’ve Always Focused on My Game’

In a media interview in Karachi, Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi said that winning games for his country is more important to him than wanting to be captain.

After Babar Azam resigned, Afridi was named Pakistan’s T20I captain. He stressed that leadership duties are outside of his control and are not something he is personally motivated to perform.

“Pakistan is first and foremost for me, then it’s the team, and I come after that,” Afridi said. “I don’t like to think about the past. My job is to be in the present, and I don’t think about the future. If your present is good, you can be well-prepared for the future. Captaincy is not in my hands, and I have never played my cricket for captaincy. I want to play cricket for Pakistan and I will do that with dignity.”

After Pakistan was eliminated from the 2023 ODI World Cup in India during the group stage, Afridi was appointed as the team’s captain for the T20 format. Pakistan lost 1-4 in their five-match series against New Zealand under his leadership.

Afridi had the opportunity to demonstrate his leadership abilities, but his tenure as T20I captain was brief because, prior to the 2024 T20 World Cup, Babar Azam was named Pakistan’s white-ball captain once again.

Shaheen’s comments highlight his commitment to his position as a player, emphasizing that he is more concerned with helping the team succeed than with receiving individual recognition. His primary objective is still to assist Pakistan in winning cricket matches.

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