ISLAMABAD – October 21, 2025:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new ODI captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team. The left-arm pacer is set to begin his tenure with the upcoming three-match series against South Africa.
Shaheen, 25, replaces Mohammad Rizwan, who was removed following a string of poor performances, including Pakistan’s underwhelming ICC Champions Trophy campaign and subsequent series defeats in New Zealand and the West Indies.
Despite early success as captain with series wins in South Africa, Australia, and Zimbabwe, Rizwan’s recent failures prompted the PCB to make another leadership change in an already turbulent year.
.@iShaheenAfridi appointed Pakistan’s 32nd ODI captain 🇵🇰
He is set to lead the team in the upcoming ODI series 🆚 South Africa in Faisalabad#PAKvSA | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/9OtbVR0d4w
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 20, 2025
This marks Shaheen’s second stint as national captain. He previously led Pakistan in five T20 Internationals against New Zealand in late 2023 but was replaced amid leadership reshuffles. He has also captained Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), guiding them to two titles.
According to the PCB’s press release, the decision to appoint Shaheen was finalized during a meeting held in Islamabad, attended by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, Director High Performance Aaqib Javed, and members of the selection committee.
The appointment appears part of the PCB’s long-term vision under Hesson, with a focus on building towards the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
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Shaheen has played 66 ODIs and 92 T20Is, taking a combined 249 wickets, in addition to 120 Test wickets in 32 matches.
The PCB, under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi, has faced criticism for frequent captaincy changes, cycling through Shaheen, Babar Azam, and Rizwan over the last two years.
As the leadership baton returns to Shaheen, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if the speedster can bring stability and consistency to a team in search of direction.
