Shaheen Afridi to lead T20I team as Pakistan name new captains after Babar Azam resigns

Babar Azam stepped down from Pakistan team captaincy after poor performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Babar Azam surprised everyone in the cricketing world with a major announcement after Pakistan’s early exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India on Wednesday. The former top-ranked batsman went on social media during the first semi-final game between India and New Zealand to announce that he’s stepping down as Pakistan’s captain in all formats. Expressing dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s poor performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Babar declared his decision to step down.

Babar made this decision just four days after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup. The team faced setbacks in five out of nine games, including a surprising loss to Afghanistan, which raised concerns about Babar’s leadership.

After Babar’s announcement, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) swiftly appointed pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I captain, and Shan Masood is set to lead the team in test cricket. PCB announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Shan Masood has been appointed test captain, while Shaheen Afridi will lead the T20I side.

Shaheen leads Lahore Qalandars in PSL, and under his leadership, the team clinched their inaugural PSL title in the 2022 season. They further solidified their success by winning the 2023 season, marking themselves as the first team in PSL history to successfully defend their title.

As Pakistan gear up for various T20Imatches, particularly with the T20 World Cup 2024 approaching, preparations are in full swing. However, with no ODIs scheduled in the near future, the announcement of the ODI captain remains pending.

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