T20 World Cup 2024: Shaheen Afridi declines PCB's vice-captaincy offer

Mohammad Rizwan has emerged as the strong contender to become Babar Azam's vice

Faizan Lakhani

May 25, 2024

T20 World Cup 2024: Shaheen Afridi declines PCBs vice-captaincy offer — Pakistan's pacer and former T20 skipper Shaheen Afridi. — AFP/File

Sources confirm Shaheen's refusal to selection committee's offer.
Board reinstated Babar as T20 captain in March replacing pacer.
Rizwan, Shadab emerge as top contenders for team vice-captain.

KARACHI: Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Afridi has declined the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) offer to become vice-captaincy for the national side, Geo News reported on Saturday.

Sources close to Shaheen have confirmed that the selection committee had offered the pacer to become the team's vice-captain and skipper Babar Azam's second in command, which he refused to accept.

The development comes after the board, in March, reinstated Babar as T20 captain, replacing Shaheen, after the newly formed selection committee's recommendation to change the skipper.

The PCB under Zaka Ashraf appointed Shaheen as white-ball captain following the team's drubbing in the ICC World Cup 2023.

Following the fast bowler's refusal to accept the team's vice-captaincy, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is now a strong candidate to become the vice-captain. Meanwhile, all-rounder Shadab Khan is also in the running for the role.

Yesterday, Pakistan announced their squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, which begins on June 1 and will be played in the United States and West Indies.

Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2024 squad

Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.

"This is an extremely talented and balanced side that has a mixture of youth and experience. These players have been playing together for some time and look well prepared and settled for next month’s event," the PCB said in a press release.

"Haris Rauf is fully fit and bowling well in the nets. It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing at Headingley, but we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the upcoming matches, as he will have an important role to play along with other strike bowlers in the T20 World Cup."

Pakistan are in Group A of the event, alongside India, Ireland, Canada and the United States.