In a significant announcement on Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new captain for the Pakistan men’s ODI team, replacing the esteemed wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.
Exclusive insights suggest that Rizwan’s dismissal stems directly from his principled refusal to endorse betting companies. According to a PCB source closely monitoring the situation, “Rizwan had explicitly informed the PCB that he would not promote betting companies, which stands as the fundamental reason behind his removal. He was openly opposed to the PCB’s partnerships with surrogate betting firms.”
This isn’t the first time Rizwan has taken such a stand. Earlier this year, during his stint with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he notably declined to wear or endorse the logo of a betting firm. He consistently played in a jersey that conspicuously lacked the main sponsor’s logo, which was associated with a betting website.
Adding another layer to the controversy, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif hinted at deeper, potentially ideological motives behind Rizwan’s removal, linking it to the player’s comments about Palestine.
“If he has spoken about Palestine, will you remove him from captaincy?” Latif questioned vehemently on his YouTube channel, Caught Behind. He further criticized the decision, stating, “This mindset that there would be non-Islamic captains in an Islamic country is abysmal.”
Shaheen Afridi is set to commence his leadership role in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, which will be hosted at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from November 4 to 8.
His appointment for this critical series was finalized during a high-level meeting in Islamabad, attended by key figures including white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, Director High Performance Aqib Javed, and members of the selection committee.
Pakistan’s Captaincy Carousel: A Musical Chair
Pakistan cricket has been notoriously volatile in its leadership, with a bewildering series of captaincy changes unfolding since 2023. Various players have taken the helm across different formats under multiple PCB administrations, creating an environment of constant flux.
- The carousel began on March 13, 2023, when Shadab Khan was entrusted with the captaincy for the T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, under the then-chairman Najam Sethi.
- Later that year, on November 15, 2023, a significant leadership overhaul occurred. Babar Azam notably stepped down as captain from all three formats. Under the stewardship of Zaka Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed T20I captain, while Shan Masood assumed command of the Test team.
- The changes continued rapidly into March 29, 2024, when the new PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, removed Shaheen Afridi from his white-ball captaincy role.
- Just two days later, on March 31, 2024, Babar Azam was surprisingly reinstated as the T20 captain, specifically for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
- However, Babar’s second tenure proved to be short-lived. On October 1, 2024, he once again resigned from the white-ball captaincy, paving the way for Mohammad Rizwan. Rizwan was then appointed white-ball captain on October 27, 2024, still under Naqvi’s chairmanship.
- The pattern of rotating leaders persisted. On March 4, 2025, Salman Ali Agha was named T20I captain.
- Finally, on October 20, 2025, Shaheen Shah Afridi returned to a leadership position, being appointed as Pakistan’s ODI captain, again under Mohsin Naqvi’s administration.