 "Pakistan cricket team: Meet the new leaders of Men in Green")
Pakistan has named Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new T20I captain and Shan Masood as the Test captain. These appointments came after Babar Azam’s resignation from captaincy in all three formats. Since Pakistan is not playing ODIs in the near future, PCB has not yet announced an ODI captain. After Babar’s resignation, the PCB issued a statement, where they said that Babar was offered the option to continue as Test captain, while the decision to remove him as the white-ball skipper was presented as a fait accompli. The PCB expressed support for Babar’s decision, stating, “PCB respects his decision and continues to support him as a player.”
Masood’s captaincy marks a notable ascent for a player since he has not yet managed to make a permanent spot in the Test side. His first assignment will be a challenging away series in Australia - a country where Pakistan has lost their last 14 successive Tests. Shaheen Shah Afridi, at 23, was touted to succeed Babar Azam as the T20I captain. His first assignment will follow the three-Test series against Australia when Pakistan travels to New Zealand for five T20Is. This will be the start of the preparation for the T20 World Cup in June 2024. Afridi has captained the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League and became the first side to defend the trophy when he won back-to-back seasons. The PCB announced that the ODI captain would be appointed “in due course.” Mohammad Hafeez appointed new director of cricket PCB also revealed that Mohammad Hafeez would be the team director, taking over the role from Mickey Arthur. Now, Arthur has not been removed and this marks a significant demotion for him. Hafeez has not had any previous coaching or directorial experience, and will now lead the coaching staff in Australia. Head coach Grant Bradburn will also not accompany the Pakistan team to Australia and New Zealand. Younis Khan is widely expected to take over the role. Neither Arthur nor Bradburn has been relieved of their duties. It will be interesting to see how the new management takes the team forward in the upcoming series.