Srinagar, Oct 20: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new captain of Pakistan’s men’s ODI team, replacing Mohammad Rizwan after nearly a year at the helm.
The decision came following a meeting in Islamabad between white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, Director High Performance Aqib Javed, and the selection committee.
Shaheen will lead Pakistan in his first ODI series as captain during the three-match home series against South Africa, scheduled from November 4 to 8 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.
The 22-year-old left-arm pacer has prior captaincy experience in T20Is, having led Pakistan in a five-match series against New Zealand in January 2024. Following a 4-1 defeat, he was replaced by Babar Azam, who remained in charge until last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Mohammad Rizwan, who had captained Pakistan in 20 ODIs, recorded nine wins and 11 losses, finishing with a win percentage of 45. Appointed as both ODI and T20I captain in October 2024, Rizwan struggled in the T20I format, losing all four matches under his leadership, which led to Salman Ali Agha taking over as T20I skipper.
The leadership change signals a new chapter for Pakistan’s ODI team as they aim for stability and success in the white-ball format, with Shaheen now at the helm and Rizwan stepping down from leadership duties.
