"There should not be many changes to the squad before the World Cup" - Shahid Afridi implores for consistency from Pakistan selectors
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi feels that players should be given a long run in the T20I squad in the build up to the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Men in Green made some radical changes to the squad in their recent 1-4 series defeat to New Zealand, which kickstarted Shaheen Afridi's reign as skipper.
Pakistan introduced a slew of new names into the T20I setup, including Saim Ayub, resulting in the demotion of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman in the batting order. Naseem Shah's absence due to injury also paved the way for the likes of Zaman Khan and Aamer Jamal to feature.
Shahid Afridi stated that there should be a balance between consistency in selection and workload management in the build up to the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“There should not be many changes to the squad before the World Cup. However, it is important to know when to rest or play a certain player," he told journalists.
Shahid also vouched for his former teammate Mohammed Hafeez, who has had a tough start with his role as Pakistan's team director. Under the guidance of the former all-rounder, the Men in Green suffered a Test series whitewash at the hands of Australia away from home.
“[Mohammad] Hafeez has played a lot of cricket; he should be given more time [as team director],” Shahid Afridi stated. “If someone thinks that everything will change in one series, it is wrong thinking."
“We missed some opportunities during the New Zealand and Australia tours, failing to perform at our best level,” he added
Pakistan did have some positives to take away from their recent tour of Australia and New Zealand. The second-string pace attack comprising debutants Khurram Shehzad and Aamer Jamal shone in particular, while Babar Azam was among the runs at the No. 3 position.
"PCB should announce the captain for two to three years" - Shahid Afridi
Pakistan recently underwent a massive shift in terms of their captaincy structure, after Babar Azam relinquished his leadership role across all formats following the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Subsequently, Shan Masood was appointed as the Test captain, while Shaheen Afridi has taken over the T20I side.
With Pakistan not scheduled to play an ODI until November 2024, the new ODI captain is yet to be named by the PCB.
"PCB should announce the captain for two to three years so that the captaincy debate can come to an end," Shahid Afridi said
Will Pakistan find success with different captains for different formats? Let us know what you think.