ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handed the national ODI captaincy to left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, officially replacing wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan following Pakistan’s disappointing Champions Trophy campaign and a series defeat against the West Indies.
The decision, announced by the PCB on Monday, comes just weeks before Pakistan’s three-match home ODI series against South Africa, scheduled from November 4 to 8 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
Rizwan’s future as captain had already been in doubt after the board recently stated that it had “yet to finalize a captain” for the upcoming series. The statement sparked speculation that changes were on the horizon, especially after a series of underwhelming performances under his leadership.
Rizwan, who took charge of the ODI side last year, initially led Pakistan to notable series wins against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. However, the team’s form dipped this year losing the home tri-series final to New Zealand, suffering an early Champions Trophy exit, and later falling to the West Indies in an away series.
In a statement, the PCB confirmed:
“Shaheen Shah Afridi has been named captain of the Pakistan men’s ODI team. The left-arm fast bowler will lead Pakistan in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.”
The appointment was finalized during a high-level meeting in Islamabad attended by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, Director High Performance Aqib Javed, and members of the national selection committee.
Afridi, 24, brings considerable international experience to the role. The fiery pacer has represented Pakistan in 66 ODIs and 92 T20Is, taking a total of 249 wickets across both formats. In 32 Test matches, he has already bagged 120 wickets, establishing himself as one of Pakistan’s premier strike bowlers.
This will not be Afridi’s first taste of captaincy. He previously led the national T20 side in a 2024 series against New Zealand but was later replaced by Babar Azam after just one assignment.
Shaheen’s appointment marks the beginning of another chapter in Pakistan’s ongoing search for leadership stability and with a home series around the corner, all eyes will be on how the young pacer handles the pressure of leading from the front.
