Rawalpindi, November 11, 2025: Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi revealed on Tuesday that he sought advice from his predecessor Mohammad Rizwan before accepting the leadership role.
Shaheen, who replaced Rizwan as ODI captain ahead of Pakistan’s three-match home series against South Africa last month, said Rizwan was the only person he consulted before making the decision. The left-arm pacer made the remarks at a pre-series press conference on the eve of the first ODI against Sri Lanka, starting Tuesday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“When I was becoming captain, Rizwan was the only individual with whom I discussed the possibility of representing Pakistan as captain, his thoughts on it, and what he wanted,” Shaheen said. “Rizwan himself decided to take a step back, and I am replacing him. So, I took this decision after consulting him.”
Rizwan, who led Pakistan in 20 ODIs, recorded nine wins and 11 losses, with a winning percentage of 45. The 33-year-old had been appointed as both ODI and T20I captain on October 27 last year ahead of Pakistan’s white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
However, Rizwan’s tenure in the T20 format was unsuccessful, with Pakistan losing all four T20Is under his leadership. Following the defeats, he was removed as T20I captain, with all-rounder Salman Ali Agha taking over for the shortest format ahead of the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
