Shahid Afridi: “I have not said this now but had suggested the same 4 to 6 months ago that Mohammad Rizwan needs to be the captain in the white-ball format and Babar Azam should have continued in the red-ball format instead of being removed”
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Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi revealed he suggested that wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan be named limited overs captain four to six months ago.
Afridi wanted Rizwan to take charge of the team in white-ball cricket and felt Babar Azam should have continued on as Test captain.
Instead, Azam currently leads the men in green in ODIs and T20Is, while Shan Masood is in charge of the Test side.
“I have not said this now but had suggested the same 4 to 6 months ago that Mohammad Rizwan needs to be the captain in the white-ball format and Babar Azam should have continued in the red-ball format instead of being removed,” Afridi was quoted as saying by PakPassion.
Both Rizwan and Azam are currently in action in the two-Test series against Bangladesh, where Pakistan find themselves 1-0 down after losing the first Test by 10 wickets.
In that match, Azam made scores of 0 and 22, while Rizwan struck a career-best 171 not out and 51.
The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh got underway on August 30 and Azam and Rizwan scored 31 and 29 respectively in the first innings.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi
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