File photo of Shahid Afridi
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has defended his son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi following speculation that the fast bowler would be removed as the national T20 captain. “I think if you have appointed someone as captain (Shaheen) and given him the responsibility, then you should give him time,” Afridi told the media on Tuesday. “The biggest problem with our cricket is that our system changes when the faces on the board change. Whoever comes thinks that whatever he does is the best for Pakistani cricket,” Afridi said.
Afridi noted that Shaheen should be given enough time to prove herself.
“If you change the captain, then the decision to appoint him is wrong, or the decision to change him now is wrong,” he added.
Afridi was seen as one of the key driving forces behind Shaheen’s appointment as national T20 captain after last year’s ODI World Cup India. Babar Azam was removed as white-ball captain after Pakistan failed to progress beyond the league stages. The skipper subsequently resigned in the red-ball format.
Afridi also supported the appointment of a foreign coach but said he would have to be a high-profile person like Andy Flower, who has a great track record.
“I believe that even if you bring in a foreign coach, the staff under him should be Pakistani so that our people can also progress and improve their skills,” he said.
Asked about the decision to include Imad Wasim and Muhammad Amir in the national training camp, Afridi felt it would have been better to assess their suitability first.
“But I can tell you that if they can get through this two-week training camp in Kakul, they will be supermen,” he said.
Amir, back from retirement after 2020, has also backed Shaheen as T20 captain.
He tweeted: “Shaheen isn’t bad and I think he should be given time to prove his credentials.”
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