Shahid Afridi, the 2009 T20 World Cup-winner, reckons Shadab Khan will definitely be the next Pakistan captain if Mike Hesson stays on as the head coach. Pakistan are alive for now in the T20 World Cup 2026; however, the chatter has well and truly begun regarding who might succeed Salman Ali Agha as the next skipper. Several pundits in Pakistan have already predicted that it’s a matter of time before Agha is axed as the captain following the Green Shirts’ below-par performance in the tenth edition of the tournament.
Pakistan were handed a significant lifeline on the T20 World Cup after England defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Colombo on Friday. Agha’s team now need to beat Sri Lanka by either 65 runs or chase the total down with 40 balls to spare to leapfrog New Zealand’s net run rate and qualify for the semi-final.
However, ahead of the crucial match in Pallekele, Afridi said that Shadab is most likely to become the next captain and Hesson’s tenure as the head coach is all but certain to come to his aid, due to their previous stint at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Islamabad United.
It is worth noting that after Pakistan’s 61-run loss to India, Afridi asked the team management to drop Shadab due to his poor performance with both bat and ball.
“If Mike Hesson stays on as the coach, then I think Shadab Khan will be made the captain. They have a connection and go back a long way, stemming from their stint with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League. Shadab is not a bad choice, but if his performance as a bowler was better, then it would have been great,” Afridi said on Samaa.TV.
“We need Shadab to come up with consistent performances. If that comes, we will also feel good about calling him the captain. I always used to say he was the backbone of the team. I think Shadab will be made the captain as they don’t have any other choice. Make him the captain, but he should be a performer,” he added.
Shadab attacks Afridi
Earlier, Shadab had attacked several former Pakistan cricketers, including Afridi, for asking for his exclusion from the team. After the all-round performance against Namibia, Shadab hit back, saying his team could defeat India in the World Cup, but the former players can never boast of the same. This comment sparked backlash, and Shadab was lambasted left, right and centre.
Afridi is not the first one to predict that Shadab will be the next captain. Earlier, Shoaib Malik had also said the same, revealing that the plans have already begun to make him the next skipper.
“Shadab’s name has started doing the rounds as far as captaincy is concerned,” said Malik on ARY News.
Speaking of Pakistan, the side are yet to win any Super 8s match of the ongoing edition of the World Cup. The game against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain while the side lost a nail-bitter against England.
