Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain and legendary all-rounder, recently advocated for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to implement a strategy where a single captain leads the team across all cricket formats. This suggestion follows the recent overhaul in Pakistan's cricket leadership, triggered by Babar Azam stepping down from his captaincy role across all formats after the team's underwhelming performance at the ODI World Cup.
In the wake of these changes, Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been appointed as the new captains for the Test and T20I formats, respectively. Afridi's rationale for a unified captaincy stems from the belief that it would eliminate any internal disputes over leadership roles and establish clear authority within the squad. He argues that a singular captaincy would clarify the leadership hierarchy to the players and contribute to a more cohesive team environment.
"The PCB must have one captain for all formats and there is no need to have a vice-captain. This will give a clear message to all players who is in charge," Afridi told reporters.
Shahid Afridi wants a minimum of 3-year tenure for captain
Additionally, Afridi is in favor of awarding the captain and team management three-year contracts. He believes that longer tenures would bring much-needed stability to the team and relieve the captain and management from the pressures of immediate results. This approach would provide ample time for the development and maturation of the team.
"If you think Muhammad Hafeez is good then don't just judge him on one series give him proper time and the same should apply to the captain as well he should be there for three years," Afridi opined.
Highlighting the significance of consistency and player confidence, especially as the World T20 Cup approaches, Afridi recommends maintaining the current T20 squad over an extended period. This strategy, he suggests, would allow the team to build chemistry and fine-tune their skills in preparation for the upcoming tournament.
"The World T20 Cup is going to be a very tough tournament this year with some very strong teams in the hunt for the title. I also don't think this is the time to make any changes in the format squad," Afridi said.
"We just need to continue with the same group of players and give them confidence. But yes I would like to see Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub open the batting in T20s," he said.
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