Shaheen Shah Afridi Appointed Pakistan ODI Captain, Succeeds Mohammad Rizwan
LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the national team in One Day Internationals, replacing wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan following a leadership review conducted by team management.
According to A Sports, the decision was finalized during a high-level meeting in Islamabad attended by head coach Mike Hesson, director of high performance Aqib Javed, and members of the national selection committee. Afridi will begin his new role in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, scheduled to start on November 4.
The change comes in the wake of Pakistan’s underwhelming run in 2025, where the Men in Green failed to progress beyond the first round of the ICC Champions Trophy, suffered a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, and lost 2-1 to the West Indies.
Shaheen Afridi, however, brings proven leadership credentials. Under his captaincy, Lahore Qalandars clinched three Pakistan Super League (PSL) titles, establishing him as one of the most successful leaders in franchise cricket. This will not be his first stint as national captain—he previously led Pakistan in T20Is but was replaced after a series defeat to New Zealand in early 2024.
During that period, Pakistan lost a five-match T20I series 4-1, prompting the return of Babar Azam as skipper until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies.
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Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, who was handed the white-ball captaincy in October 2024, produced mixed results. He guided Pakistan to memorable ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa, but his T20I tenure ended on a disappointing note after Pakistan lost all four matches under his leadership.
In total, Rizwan captained Pakistan in 20 ODIs, winning nine and losing eleven, finishing with a 45% win record.
With Shaheen Afridi now at the helm, Pakistan fans will be eager to see if his aggressive style and PSL-winning experience can revive the team’s fortunes in the 50-over format.