The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again made a surprising change to its leadership, removing Mohammad Rizwan as captain of the One Day International (ODI) team and reinstating Shahin Shah Afridi. Known for frequent changes in selectors, coaches and captains within a short time, the PCB confirmed the decision after days of speculation.
Currently hosting South Africa for a full series across all formats, Pakistan announced Shahin’s appointment as ODI captain on Monday during the ongoing second Test. The left-arm pacer will begin his second stint as captain in the white-ball format during the Proteas tour. Following two Tests, Pakistan and South Africa will play a three-match T20 series starting on 28 October, followed by three ODIs from 4 November.
Both Rizwan and Shahin are participating in the ongoing Test series. However, the PCB did not disclose the reasons for removing Rizwan from the ODI captaincy. The decision followed a meeting in Islamabad attended by the selectors and Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson. According to ESPN Cricinfo, Hesson recommended the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi call a meeting with selectors and advisers to decide on the captaincy change.
It is understood that Hesson did not make the decision alone. Shahin Afridi’s first experience as captain in January 2024 was challenging, with Pakistan losing a five-match T20 series to New Zealand 4-1. This led to his sudden dismissal and Rizwan’s appointment as captain. A week later, Babar Azam was given the T20 captaincy for the World Cup campaign.
With this change, Pakistan continues to have three different captains across formats. Shan Masood leads the Test side, Salman Ali Agha captains the T20 team, and Shahin Afridi takes charge of the ODI squad. During his tenure as ODI captain, Rizwan was close to becoming Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in the format, with an average of 42. Under his leadership, Pakistan won ODI series in Australia and South Africa in 2024 but experienced a decline later in the year, exiting the Champions Trophy in the group stage.
Rizwan had also captained the T20 team, but after four defeats, the T20 captaincy was handed to Salman Agha. Overall, Rizwan led Pakistan in 20 ODIs, achieving nine wins and 11 losses, a 45 per cent success rate. Shahin, who replaces him, was last year’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs, with 45 wickets since the 2023 World Cup, a tally unmatched by any other pace bowler from a full member nation.
