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‘Good human’ Rizwan voluntarily stepped back to let Shaheen take over as Pakistan ODI captain, says pacer

Former Pakistan One-day International captain Mohammad Rizwan voluntarily decided to take a step back and let Shaheen Shah Afridi take charge as his successor when the country’s cricket board was mulling the decision, the latter revealed on Monday.

Shaheen was appointed in the role last month in what seemed like an abrupt development with Rizwan being stripped off captaincy despite spending only five ODI series and an ICC Champions Trophy campaign in charge.

While the wicket-keeper-batter had a disastrous show at the Champions Trophy, he lead Pakistan to series wins in Australia and South Africa last year and against the West Indies this year.

According to multiple media reports, Rizwan was at loggerheads with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) when he was removed as captain – reportedly turning down the central contract.

Shaheen, however, seems to have cleared the air, stating in the press conference on the eve of Pakistan’s three-match ODI series opener against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, that he had a discussion with his predecessor prior to his appointment as skipper.

“Rizwan was the only person [from the team] I had a discussion with when I was about to be appointed as captain,” said the Pakistan pace spearhead. “I asked him how he felt and what he wanted.

“Rizwan is a good human and he decided himself to stake a step back and let me replace him, and that was how the decision was taken.”

Shaheen had been in Rizwan’s position himself when he had replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s T20I skipper back in 2024 before being placed by the latter after just one series in charge.

The pacer, who lead Pakistan to the national side’s first-ever ODI series victory over South Africa at home last week, said the past did not spill into his decisions in the present and that he took advice from all his team-mates as captain.

“I talk to everyone for advice and I am not too egoistic to not talk to the ex captains because of things that happened in the past,” he said.

Moreover, Shaheen was not reluctant to back both Babar and Rizwan amid their recent struggles in white-ball cricket, observing that responsibility was for every player to take and not only for the established pros.

“Everyone has to take responsibility if you want to improve as a team,” the 25-year-old, who managed three wickets at an average of 38 in his first series as captain. “Its not just for Rizwan, Babar, Fakhar [Zaman], Shaheen, Saim [Ayub] to ensure this. The first and the last, all players should take responsibility.

“As far as Rizwan is concerned, he is Pakistan’s top-scorer in one-dayers since 2023. We are trying to back players who are not in form so that they can do well in future matches. If you get hopeless about such players it will bring in worse results. We have to go into matches as a unit and win them as a unit.”



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/ktMKP1h
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