The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a press release, disclosed the rationale behind their decision to replace Shaheen Afridi as the captain of the Pakistan Men’s national Cricket team in T20Is.
The announcement came on Sunday, with Babar Azam appointed as the new white-ball captain, succeeding Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The PCB explained that this decision was driven by their commitment to effectively manage player workloads, thereby sustaining peak performance levels. Acknowledging the necessity of rotation and adequate rest, especially for key players like Shaheen Afridi, the board aims to ensure the longevity of their careers in the sport.
“While Shaheen Afridi has undeniably proven himself as a star fast bowler, leading Pakistan’s pace attack over the years, the board recognises the importance of rotation and rest to maintain his peak performance. This decision aligns with board’s commitment to safeguarding the longevity of the players, especially fast bowlers given their injury timelines in the past two years,” the press release stated.
“Keeping in mind workload management, this decision is to ensure Pakistan main bowlers remain at the top of their game. The board does not want the national men’s team to run into injury crisis concerning the bowling resoucres as seen before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, where Shaheen had to bee closely looked after and ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, where the team didn’t have the services of Naseem Shah,” it further added.
By appointing Babar Azam as the new captain, the board seeks to ensure that Pakistan’s primary bowlers remain in prime condition, ready to deliver impactful performances when called upon.
