"Imran bhai said I should be captain" - Shaheen Shah Afridi reveals how he became Lahore Qalandars' skipper
Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi revealed that ex-captain Imran Khan motivated him to take up the leadership role of the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The left-arm speedster also disclosed that he had no interest in captaincy before that.
Afridi was named captain of the Lahore Qalandars in December 2021 and has already led the franchise to back-to-back title victories. In 2022, he became the youngest skipper to win a T20 league. The 23-year-old also finished as the leading wicket-taker in the 2022 edition with 20 scalps in 13 matches at 19.70, maintaining an economy rate of 7.57.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Afridi reflected that while he hadn't captained at any level, it was difficult to refuse Imran Khan's suggestion.
"I have not captained at any age level, really, maybe once at Under-19 level," he said. "I never even had an interest in captaincy. But then in 2021, I was sitting in the PM office with Sameen bhai [Lahore Qalandars owner] and Aqib Javed and Imran Khan [then Pakistan Prime Minister] suggested that I be appointed captain."
"Obviously, you can never say no to Imran bhai. After that I became captain of Lahore. I was vice-captain, but when Imran bhai said I should be captain, that's when the change happened," he added.
The youngster's exploits as captain in PSL meant that he was also appointed by Pakistan in T20Is. However, the New Zealand tour proved to be unforgettable as Pakistan lost the five-game T20I series by 1-4.
"Imran Khan said most great fast bowlers have been captains" - Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shaheen Shah Afridi further revealed that he went and thanked Imran Khan after winning the title for the Qalandars in 2022, adding:
"When we won the title in 2022, I went to meet Imran [Khan] bhai and told him 'at least we've now won one title!' And I thanked him at the time for showing faith in me. That's when my captaincy started, until then I had no interest."
"Imran said most great fast bowlers have been captains because fast bowlers have the authority to set fields and they understand other fast bowlers, concerning what they need and what they're going through," he added.
The 9th edition of the PSL begins on February 17th, with the Qalandars facing Islamabad United on the opening night.