Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi Appointed Vice-Captain for Australia Tests
As Pakistan prepares for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy against Australia, pace star Shaheen Shah Afridi has been appointed vice-captain for the national squad in the upcoming three-match Test series, as announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday.
Shaheen, also the captain for Pakistan’s T20 cricket, will serve as the vice-captain for Test cricket in this specific series scheduled to begin tomorrow (December 14), following the announcement of the playing XI.
Having played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs, and 52 T20Is for the national side, Shaheen brings significant experience to the leadership role.
This series marks the first time Shan Masood will lead the national side in an international game, stepping in after Babar Azam was removed from captaincy in all three cricket formats.
The batting lineup includes Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, and Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), with all-rounders Salman Ali Agha and Faheem Ashraf expected to contribute in challenging Australian conditions.
In the bowling department, the team relies on newly appointed vice-captain Shaheen, along with debutants Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad, who are set to make their Test debut for Pakistan in the first Test.
It’s worth mentioning that Pakistan hasn’t won a Test on Australian soil since 1995, having lost 26 matches and won just four in and against Australia. In the last five series, Pakistan suffered whitewashes.
The Australian team, in contrast, is in red-hot form, having surprised India in the ODI World Cup final last month. Pakistan cricket, on the other hand, faces challenges with poor results and administrative issues causing disarray in the cricketing structure.
Shan Masood’s leadership debut is notably challenging, considering the historical struggles faced by legendary captains like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Misbah-ul-Haq during tours to Australia.
