Shaheen Shah Afridi Replaces Babar Azam As New T20 Captain Of Pakistan, Shan Masood To Lead Test Side

After Babar Azam resigned as the captain of Pakistan cricket team across formats, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Shaheen Shah Afridi as the captain in the T20Is while Shan Masood was named as the skipper of the Test side. PCB has not yet named the captain of the ODI side till date. Announcing the news on X (formerly Twitter), PCB wrote: "Presenting our captains __@shani_official has been appointed Test captain while iShaheenAfridi will lead the T20I side."

Also Read | Babar Azam Resigns As Pakistan Captain From All Formats Of The Game After Poor Cricket World Cup 2023

Babar shared a heartfelt post on X to announce his captain. In a post on social media X, Babar wrote, “I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to leak Pakistan in 2019. Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world.

“Reaching the number 1 spot in the white-ball format was a result of the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management but I’d like to express my gratitude to passionate Pakistan cricket fans for their unwavering support during this journey. “Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call. “I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication. “I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility.”

Presenting our captains __@shani_official has been appointed Test captain while @iShaheenAfridi will lead the T20I side. pic.twitter.com/wPSebUB60m — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 15, 2023

These decisions are a result of Pakistan not qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup in India. Pakistan started off the tournament with two wins in a row. However, they lost the track of the campaign with four straight losses starting with the defeat to India. The NRR became a matter of concen for Pakistan from thereon. They did win vs New Zealand and Bangladesh but it was too much to beat New Zealand's NRR and qualify for the semis.