Shaheen emphasises on ‘brotherhood’ and ‘unity’ after being named Pakistan captain

Pakistan cricket were yet to recover from their 2023 World Cup exit when another development jolted them out of nowhere when Babar Azam announced that he is stepping down as captain from all three formats. 

Quick decisions were made and the PCB did not waste time in revealing their next captains – Shaheen Afridi in T20Is and Shan Masood in Tests. The ODI leadership has been put on hold as Pakistan don't play another one-dayer till November of 2024.

Shaheen, one of the two newly-appointed captains, took to social media platform and expressed gratitude at his promotion. One of the fiercest opening bowlers in the world, Shaheen, after paying homage to the outgoing skipper Babar, spoke about brotherhood, unity among other factors that will hopefully help him succeed one of the best captains ever produced by Pakistan.

"I am honoured and thrilled to lead our national T20 cricket team. Thank you to the Pakistan cricket board and fans for their trust and support," Shaheen wrote. "I'll give my best to uphold the team spirit and bring glory to our nation on the cricket field. Our success lies in unity, trust and relentless effort. We are not just a team; we are a brotherhood, a family. Together, we rise."

Ironically, there were reports of rift within the Pakistan team, particularly between Shaheen and Babar after the team failed to qualify for the Asia Cup final. Those rumours were put to rest however, when Babar and the rest of his teammates showed up for Shaheen's wedding. But even as the rumours were quashed, Pakistan's fortunes did not change as the team couldn't qualify for the semifinal, with Babar scoring 320 runs in nine innings and a highest score of 74.

Shaheen, Rizwan hail Babar's contributions
Shaheen and wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan were among the first teammates among the current lot to pay their respect to Babar for his contribution to Pakistan as captain. Babar, who in mid-2020, took charge of the team across formats, led Pakistan to the No. 1 position in the ICC ODI rankings. With Babar shepherding the ship, Pakistan finished semi-finalists at the 2021 T20 World Cup and runner-up in the following edition in 2022.

Paying his respects to Babar, Shaheen said, "Under your exemplary leadership, it's been a privilege to witness true teamwork and camaraderie. Your forefront leadership and commitment to team unity and collective success are commendable. Looking forward to seeing you break more batting records."

Rizwan, meanwhile posted: "Captain! You are definitely one of the greatest batsmen Pakistan has ever seen. Your honesty, love, integrity, thoughts, and efforts for Pakistan as the captain are the things to look up to. May you continue to shine for Pakistan."