The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that it has not yet chosen a captain for the national men’s team ahead of the upcoming home ODI series against South Africa. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson has requested a joint meeting between the Selection Committee and the Advisory Committee to make a final decision on who will lead the side in the three-match series.

According to the PCB, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has forwarded Hesson’s letter to the two committees, who will meet on October 20 to decide the matter. Sources close to the board said that the talks about a potential leadership change are linked to Pakistan’s preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, a suggestion believed to have come from Hesson himself.

The committees have reportedly been in discussions with a potential candidate who has asked for a guaranteed captaincy term until the 2027 World Cup and full freedom in team decisions.

ODI Captaincy: Rizwan under pressure

The PCB’s statement notably made no mention of Mohammad Rizwan, who was appointed Pakistan’s ODI captain last year. His status now appears uncertain, with the board indicating that the leadership role is still open.

Rizwan has led Pakistan to ODI series victories in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, but 2025 has been a difficult year for the side, including a loss in the home tri-series final to New Zealand, an early Champions Trophy exit, and a series defeat in the West Indies.

Despite this, Rizwan’s personal form has remained strong. He is Pakistan’s second-highest ODI run-scorer in 2025, with 361 runs at an average above 36, and also made a valuable 75-run contribution in the ongoing Test series against South Africa.

However, insiders suggest that Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Salman Ali Agha are in contention to replace Rizwan, with Afridi reportedly the frontrunner.

Shaheen’s redemption arc

Afridi’s name in the captaincy discussion is significant, considering his previous experience as T20I captain, a position he lost soon after Mohsin Naqvi became PCB Chairman. Naqvi had declined to confirm Afridi’s future as captain at the time, insisting that the board wanted a “long-term solution.”

Within a week, Afridi was replaced by Babar Azam, a move that sparked controversy after the PCB issued a statement under Afridi’s name which he claimed he never approved. The matter has since cooled, and sources suggest that Afridi’s relationship with the PCB has significantly improved under Hesson’s tenure.

Although Hesson does not hold the power to appoint the captain, the fact that Naqvi agreed to put the matter before both committees suggests that Hesson’s influence within the PCB setup has grown considerably.

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South Africa’s tour of Pakistan – Full Schedule

South Africa Squads

T20I Squad
David Miller (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams.

ODI Squad
Matthew Breetzke (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile.

Test Squad
Aiden Markram (C), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne (WK).

Pakistan Squads

Test Squad
Shan Masood (C), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afrid, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (WK), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I Squad: TBA
ODI Squad: TBA

Decision expected soon

The PCB has confirmed that the joint committee meeting to decide on the ODI captain will take place on October 20, with a final decision likely to follow immediately after.

For now, Rizwan remains Pakistan’s ODI captain in name, but with Hesson pushing for long-term leadership stability and Afridi’s growing influence, a change appears increasingly inevitable.