Shan Masood reacts to Shaheen Afridi’s sacking as T20I captain

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Test skipper Shan Masood reacted to Shaheen Afridi’s sacking as T20 International captain.

In a statement, Shan Masood said that that the new management took the decision with a plan involving the workload management of Shaheen Afridi.

“There’s a new set-up that’s come in, a new selection committee, and you always have a plan,” he added.

“And they (new management) saw a certain plan and we saw through the explanation that they probably want Shaheen Afridi to be rested as well. Because we lost Naseem Shah last year just before the ODI World Cup 2023 which proved to be very costly to Pakistan,” the left-handed batter said.

Read More: Babar Azam reappointed as Pakistan captain in white ball cricket

Shan Masood also emphasized the need for team unity despite the changes in leadership.

“I think for us as players we’ve got a common goal of making sure the Pakistan team does well. Whoever is leading it, everyone is behind them and ready to put in a good shift for them,” he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially announced Babar Azam’s appointment as white-ball captain on its social media accounts.

“Babar Azam appointed as white-ball captain. Following unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team,” the PCB posted.

Babar Azam’s first assignment during his second tenure will be a five-match home T20I series against New Zealand, commencing on April 18 in Rawalpindi.