Shaheen Afridi Takes the Helm as Pakistan’s New ODI Captain

Shaheen Afridi has been appointed as the captain of Pakistan’s ODI team, effective immediately. The left-arm fast bowler will lead the team in a three-match series against South Africa from November 4 to 8. He takes over from Mohammad Rizwan, who became captain last year following Babar Azam’s decision to step down.

This isn’t Afridi’s first time as captain of Pakistan. Earlier in 2024, he was named the T20I captain, leading in a bilateral series against New Zealand where Pakistan won the final match of the five-game series. The captaincy later returned to Babar before being handed to Salman Ali Agha last year.

The decision to appoint Afridi as captain was made in a meeting involving white-ball coach Mike Hesson, Director of High Performance Aqib Javed, and members of the selection committee. Rizwan, meanwhile, led Pakistan in 20 ODIs, starting with a 2-1 win over Australia, and a notable 3-0 sweep against South Africa in December 2024. However, after Pakistan’s early exit in the Champions Trophy, the team decided to move away from Rizwan as captain, ending his tenure with nine wins and 11 losses.

Afridi is a key player in Pakistan’s white and red-ball teams, boasting 194 international caps across all three formats.