Shaheen Afridi And Mohammad Rizwan Decline Pakistan T20 Vice-Captaincy Offers

Shaheen Afridi was offered the vice-captaincy of Pakistan's T20 side ahead of the T20 World Cup squad announcement, but the pacer turned down the offer.

The PCB selection committee had proposed naming Shaheen as Babar Azam's deputy for the upcoming ICC tournament. However, the fast bowler declined the offer. The World Cup squad was named just hours before the ICC deadline, and it did not include an official vice-captain.

Shaheen was appointed as the Pakistan T20 captain following the World Cup 2023 disaster and Babar Azam's stepping down as captain from all formats. After a dismal New Zealand series in early January, there were questions on the pacer's captaincy and then the inevitable happened.

PCB Chairman's Remarks and Subsequent Developments

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi hinted in March that Shaheen might be replaced. After this, the PCB released a statement with comments attributed to Shaheen, offering Babar support and was removed from the captaincy. But ahead of the T20 World Cup, picking a vice-captain became a huge objective and the selectors wanted to pick one before the team left for the Ireland and England series.

Selection Committee's Deliberations

While Shaheen was the first choice, the PCB selection committee also considered other options. Shadab Khan, who has been vice-captain before, was a leading contender. However, his inconsistent performance with the ball made his selection uncertain. Mohammad Rizwan was also considered but ultimately rejected, as the committee preferred appointing a younger player.

Final Decision

Despite discussing other candidates, there was near-unanimity among the committee not to announce a vice-captain, with six of the seven members supporting this decision. As Pakistan commence their T20 World Cup campaign next month, it is to be seen who deputies Babar Azam in the tournament.