Shaheen Afridi Leads Pakistan in ODIs: Stability or Another Short-Term Move?

Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken charge of the Pakistan National Cricket Team for the home ODI series against South Africa. Giving the captaincy to someone who was earlier forced to step down has raised serious questions about the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the coaching staff.

During the first Test match against the Proteas, news circulated within cricketing circles that the PCB was planning to announce a new captain for the ODI series. This clearly indicated that Muhammad Rizwan was set to step down from his white-ball captaincy.

However, such a sudden development came as a surprise not only to cricket fans but also to cricket pundits. Muhammad Rizwan had taken over the white-ball captaincy from Babar Azam in October 2024. He was officially announced as the new captain on October 27, 2024, but his tenure lasted less than a year as he was removed on October 20, 2025.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was among the likely candidates for this role. He had previously captained the national team back in November 2023 but was removed from the T20I captaincy in March 2024, just before the T20 World Cup, where Babar Azam returned as captain, leading to a disappointing campaign.

According to inside sources, the PCB had already discussed removing Muhammad Rizwan from captaincy. Head Coach Aqib Javed reportedly suggested Shaheen’s name — possibly influenced by their long-standing connection at Lahore Qalandars, where Aqib and Shaheen have worked together for six years, winning three PSL titles, including the Qalandars’ dream title defense. This year, they also claimed their third title, equaling Islamabad United’s record.

The question, however, is not about Shaheen’s leadership abilities or credentials. The real concern is the frequent captaincy changes. In the past two years, Shaheen has become the fourth person to lead Pakistan in white-ball cricket, and overall, the team has had five captaincy changes — with Shaheen now taking charge of white-ball cricket for the second time.

Currently, Pakistan has three different captains across formats — a good concept in theory — but the issue lies in suitability. Except for Shan Masood, the other two captains are arguably not ideal for their respective formats. Agha Ali, despite an impressive Asia Cup and Tri-Series, does not possess the aggressive playing style expected from a T20I captain.

Similarly, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has solid T20I captaincy experience and his style suits that format, his appointment as ODI captain raises uncertainty about whether this will be a long-term plan or just a short-term experiment.

Having three separate captains can be effective, but only if each is given confidence and control. Shaheen deserves the same backing that Agha and Shan have received, so he can develop into a stronger leader ahead of the ODI World Cup.