Former captain to take charge as Pakistan announce new leader ahead of South Africa ODI series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sacked Mohammad Rizwan as their ODI captain, with the left-arm veteran pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, getting the responsibility. The decision was announced by the board shortly after the end of the opening day of the second Rawalpindi Test against South Afridi where both these two individuals were performing.

No reason has been handed in the statement for replacing Rizwan for Pakistan. The wicket-keeper batter hasn’t even be mentioned in the statement. The board decided after the meeting in Islamabad between the selection committee and the white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson.

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Rizwan’s removal was all but inevitable when the board put the statement over the weekend declining to confirm Rizwan as the ODI captain ahead of the white-ball leg of the Protea series. It however revealed that Hesson had asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, to arrange the meeting with the selection and advisory committee to appoint the new leader of the side.

Shaheen Shah Afridi named as Pakistan’s ODI captain ahead of South Africa series

Afridi’s last foray as the white-ball captain wasn’t a happy experience as he was asked to lead the T20I side for the series against New Zealand in January last year. They ended up losing it by 4-1 margin before he was replaced in similar circumstances to Rizwan’s sacking at the moment with the chairman pointedly refusing the statement of confirming that he would continue in the role.

Pakistan will now have three different captains across the formats with Shan Masood shouldering the responsibility of the longest format and Salman Ali Agha taking over the T20I leadership. Since becoming the ODI captain last year, Rizwan is four runs short of the highest scorer for the national side with an average of just under 42. He led them to series win in Australia and South Africa in 2024.

Afridi pulls on the good form in the format as he was their leading wicket-taker last year in ODI cricket. He was central to their away wins in the Rainbow and Australia. Since the start of the 2023 World Cup, no fast bowler from a Fill Member nation has more wickets than his 45, which have come at more than two wickets a game.