PCB appoints Shaheen Afridi as T20I skipper; Shan Masood to lead Test side

Karachi, November 15

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced that Shaheen Shah Afridi will take over as T20I captain and Shan Masood will be the Test captain shortly after Babar Azam decided to step down from captaincy in all three formats.

Appointments were announced soon after Babar stepped down as Pakistan’s captain while a decision on the ODI captaincy will be made in due course.

34-year-old Shan has featured in 30 Tests, scoring 1,597 runs, which includes four centuries and seven half-centuries.

Shan has been appointed captain till the end of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Shan’s first assignment as captain will be a three-match Test series against Australia in Australia starting on 14 December.

Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah will lead Pakistan Men’s Team in the T20I format and his first assignment as captain will be the five-match T20I series in New Zealand from 12 to 21 January. 23-year-old Shaheen has bagged 64 wickets in 52 T20Is.

Shaheen has also captained Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has helped the side win the tournament twice in two years in the 2022 and 2023 editions.

“Shan and Shaheen were appointed captains after Babar Azam today stepped down from all three formats of the game. Pakistan’s captain in the ODI format will be announced in due course,” a statement from PCB read.

Shortly after Babar’s resignation, the PCB published a statement noting that while Babar was given the option to stay as Test captain, the decision to dismiss him as white-ball captain was presented to him as a fait accompli.

After consultation with his family, Babar decided to step down and PCB stands behind his decision.

PCB respects his decision and continues to support him as a player.

“Babar Azam is truly a world-class player and we want him to continue to thrive as a player. He is one of the best batters Pakistan has ever produced. He is our asset, and we will continue to support him. His batting prowess is a testament to his dedication and skill. He is a role model for the present generation,” Chairman PCB Management Committee Zaka Ashraf said in an official statement.

“We want to see him grow as a great batter and now without his additional burden of the captaincy, he can focus more on his performances to reach even greater heights. We respect his decision and will continue to back him,” the statement further read.