The Pakistan Cricket League is under a major reshuffle; the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new captain of the national men’s ODI, replacing Mohammad Rizwan.

The announcement was the outcome of a review meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, High Performance Director Aqib Javed, and other national selection committee members. Afridi will be seen in his new role in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting on November 4 in Lahore. 

According to the experts, the decision to replace Rizwan with Afridi comes after a series of inconsistent ODI performances in Rizwan’s tenure. The former skipper led Pakistan in 20 ODIs, managing to secure only 9 wins. With a 45% success rate and the team’s underwhelming performance, the selection committee has taken a call that could possibly control the damage. 

Afridi is often regarded as one of the premier fast bowlers, and he has stats under his name to support it. The fast bowl pacer with his pace swing has struck 131 wickets in a total of 66 matches. 

Pakistan has certainly opted for an unconventional approach with appointing a fast bowler over a batter as the captain of a crucial format. All eyes will be on Afridi as he juggles his new captaincy role without compromising on fitness and performance.