Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has criticised Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint Shaheen Afridi replacing Mohammad Rizwan as ODI captain.
In a video message on his social media accounts, Amir said he does not believe the timing of the decision was right.
“I don’t think Mohammad Rizwan has been treated fairly. Rizwan was not a bad One-Day captain,” Amir said.
“He led Pakistan to series wins in South Africa and Australia, something even some of our biggest captains couldn’t achieve. We should not have forgotten that,” he added.
The 33-year-old highlighted the need for consistency in leadership and admitted that former players and analysts, including himself, share responsibility for the ongoing instability in Pakistan cricket.
“Captaincy should not depend on just one good or bad series. We are all responsible for this, former cricketers and analysts included. We don’t allow our cricket to stabilise,” Amir said.
“Captains are not made overnight; it takes two to three years to build one. But here, one bad series is enough to replace a captain. I don’t think this is the right call. Rizwan is a smart captain and has that knack for leadership.”
Amir also suggested that Shaheen should have first been appointed as vice-captain to assess his leadership skills and manage his workload effectively.
“If Shaheen had to be made captain, he could have first been appointed as vice-captain and his performance judged accordingly — especially considering his fitness,” he said.
Shaheen Afridi’s first assignment as Pakistan’s ODI captain will be the three-match home series against South Africa, starting November 4 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
Shaheen previously led Pakistan in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2024. After Pakistan’s 4-1 defeat, Babar Azam took over the T20I captaincy for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later that year.
Mohammad Rizwan captained Pakistan in 20 ODIs, winning nine and losing 11, with a winning rate of 45 percent. He was appointed as both ODI and T20I captain on October 27 last year before being replaced after a disappointing T20I series where Pakistan lost all four matches under his leadership.
Following the defeats, Salman Ali Agha replaced Rizwan as T20I captain ahead of Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand.