The appointment of Shaheen Shah Afridi as the skipper of Pakistan in the shorter format of the game has sparked speculation about the involvement of Shahid Afridi in the decision-making process. Shaheen is Shahid’s son-in-law, having married Shahid Afridi’s daughter, Ansha, earlier this year. Afridi stated that the decision was entirely Mohammad Hafeez and the PCB chairman’s, denying any involvement in lobbying for Shaheen’s captaincy. He also expressed his desire for Babar to remain in his leadership role, stating that he never lobbied for Shaheen’s captaincy and that he wanted Mohammad Rizwan to be the white-ball captain and Babar to be the captain of the Test team.
After failing to lead Pakistan to the semifinals of the Cricket World Cup, Babar Azam stepped down from his captaincy. The Pakistan Cricket Board swiftly responded by appointing Shan Masood as the Test captain and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I skipper. Babar had confirmed his departure from the captaincy role in a statement, announcing that he will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. Former captain Mohammad Hafeez was also appointed as the team director in the new set-up, replacing Mickey Arthur. Pakistan won four out of their nine games in the group stage, resulting in their elimination from the tournament, marking the fifth time in the last six editions of the competition that the team has failed to qualify for the semifinals.