The Pakistan Cricket Board has made a significant leadership change by appointing fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi as the national One Day International captain, ending Mohammad Rizwan’s tenure in the role.
The 25-year-old left-arm pacer will lead Pakistan in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, scheduled from November 4 to 8, 2025. The announcement marks a fresh direction for Pakistan’s limited-overs cricket strategy.
This decision emerged from a comprehensive meeting of PCB’s selection and advisory committees held in Islamabad. The gathering included prominent figures such as head coach Mike Hesson, director of high performance Aaqib Javed, and former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed, alongside committee members Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, and Aleem Dar.
Shaheen Afridi brings substantial international experience to the captaincy role, having represented Pakistan in 66 ODIs, 92 T20 Internationals, and 32 Test matches. The pace spearhead has claimed an impressive 249 wickets across limited-overs formats and 120 wickets in Test cricket. He previously gained leadership experience while captaining Pakistan during a five-match T20 series against New Zealand in 2024.
The leadership transition follows a challenging period for Pakistan cricket under Rizwan’s captaincy. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s tenure saw Pakistan exit the ICC Champions Trophy during the group stage earlier in 2025, followed by consecutive series defeats against New Zealand and the West Indies.
Most notably, Pakistan suffered their first ODI series loss to the West Indies since 1991 in August 2025, when Rizwan last led the team. Shortly thereafter, he was also replaced as T20 captain by Salman Ali Agha, signaling the board’s desire for fresh leadership across formats.
The appointment positions Shaheen Afridi as a central figure in Pakistan’s cricket future as they rebuild following recent setbacks.
