Shaheen Afridi reacts to Babar Azam ODI captaincy rumours

Pakistan’s left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi, has revealed his thoughts on rumours of Babar Azam taking over the captaincy of the ODI team ahead of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. On the eve of their National Champions Cup 2026, the leader of the Pakistan Gold side clarified the uncertainty of the national side’s leadership in ODIs.

Babar Azam has taken over as the new Test captain from Shan Masood. He lost his first Test match on his leadership return against West Indies before earning the victory in the second encounter at the Port of Spain to draw the series by a 1-1 margin.

"Till now, I am the captain" — Shaheen's exact response when asked if he still has board backing

Afridi was named the ODI captain of the Pakistan side in October 2025 as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lost faith in their wicket-keeper, Mohammad Rizwan, as the 50-over leader following the group-stage exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Afridi revealed that, in his current position, he would remain the leader of the ODI side. He had lost the captaincy to Babar in the past. Before the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA, Babar took over the T20 captaincy from the pacer following their series defeat on the New Zealand trip.

“For now, I am the captain. Whenever we go to a World Cup, we face a lot of injuries. In case there are any injuries before the World Cup, we will already have players available. The tournament pool will make it easier for us to find replacements.” Afridi expressed this in the press conference.

The National Champions Cup begins on August 11, where Afridi’s side will take on the Pakistan Blues in the first match on August 12.

Shaheen's 2-1 series win over South Africa vs Babar's captaincy legacy — Here's the comparison

Babar remains the eighth most successful captain in the ODIs for the Pakistan side, having earned 26 victories in 43 clashes along with facing 15 defeats at a win-loss ratio of 1.73. Shaheen Afridi, on the other hand, has bagged seven wins in 11 ODIs at a W/L ratio of 1.75.

Afridi’s 2-1 series win over South Africa stands out as a high-impact and short-term success with the leadership intent. He had the historic win, becoming the first Pakistan captain to win an ODI series against the Proteas at home.

Babar’s captaincy has been built on consistency and longevity. But he failed terribly during the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The final decision on the leadership remains with the PCB selection committee.