Former captain Shahid Afridi has suggested that Pakistan should undergo thorough preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Shahid Afridi has urged consistent captaincy across formats to improve the team without making unnecessary changes.
The Men in Green failed to make an impact in the recent multinational cricket tournaments. The Pakistan team did not advance to the 2023 Asia Cup final and had a below-par performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, finishing fifth in the ICC Tournament.
After the ODI World Cup, Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy in all formats. Shan Masood took charge of the Tests while Shaheen Afridi took over the leadership in the T20I side. Mohammad Hafeez took over as director of cricket and Wahab Riaz became the head of the national selection committee.
Unfortunately, the leadership changes failed to yield positive results. The team suffered a 0-3 whitewash in the Test series against Australia and faced setbacks in the five-game T20I series in New Zealand, losing the first four games. However, they managed to get a victory in the last match, ending their losing streak.
There should be only one captain in each format: Shahid Afridi
Speaking to the media in Karachi, Shahid Afridi emphasized the need to look at the T20 World Cup 2024 beyond the match against India. Afridi stressed the importance of maintaining the existing team combination and having a single captain in all formats.
The former Pakistan all-rounder emphasized that senior players should shoulder the responsibilities in the upcoming World Cup. Afridi rubbished the notion of separate captains for different formats, stating that a single captain should lead the national cricket team.
The 46-year-old criticized the idea of a female vice-captain, supporting a unified and stable leadership structure to promote team cohesion and success. He highlighted that the adoption of a single captaincy concept would put an end to the current disputes on this issue.
Shahid Afridi emphasized a persistent problem of poor presentation within the Pakistan cricket team. However, he suggested that the team should focus not only on fielding but also on bowling and batting aspects. He expressed disappointment that Pakistan did not function cohesively as a unit, resulting in missed opportunities in recent international series.
Pakistan schedule for ICC T20 World Cup 2024
Pakistan will begin their campaign against the United States in Dallas, followed by a much-anticipated match against arch-rivals India in New York. The Men in Green will face Canada and Ireland in their final two matches of the tournament on June 11 and 16, respectively.
Pakistan reached the semi-finals and finished as runners-up in the last two seasons of the World T20s under the leadership of Babar Azam. However, they faltered in crucial matches and did not achieve victory. It is worth noting that they won the T20 World Cup in 2009.
June 6 – Pakistan vs United States – Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas
June 9 – India vs Pakistan – Citi Field, New York
June 11 – Pakistan vs Canada – Citi Field, New York
June 16 – Pakistan vs Ireland – Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas
Also Read: PAK vs AUS: ‘I wanted Mohammad Rizwan to be Pakistan’s T20I captain, but Shaheen…’- Shahid Afridi
