Shaheen Shah Afridi has been one of the casualties of Pakistan cricket’s brutal game of captaincy musical chairs. But at a stage in his career when he has much to prove, the left-arm pace spearhead has the One-day International (ODI) captaincy firmly in his grasp, with the 2027 World Cup looming on the horizon.
Unlike in 2024, when he was removed as Pakistan’s T20 captain after just one series in charge, the country’s cricket board appears to have committed to giving Shaheen a longer run as leader. Appointed to the ODI role 12 months ago, he is expected to lead Pakistan through to next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
When Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tri-series on Sunday, Shaheen will have Babar Azam among his charges. Babar replaced him as T20 captain in 2024 before eventually making way for Salman Ali Agha.
Shaheen, meanwhile, took over the ODI captaincy from former skipper Mohammad Rizwan, who is currently under investigation by the country’s cybercrime agency.
Not long ago, Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan formed the core of Pakistan’s leadership group, with Babar shouldering much of the responsibility. He appeared to enjoy the backing of the other two, but the dynamics eventually changed amid a succession of captaincy reshuffles.
Despite that turbulent history, Shaheen wants his side to be seen as a united team, with a common objective: winning the 2027 World Cup.
“We are united as a team and our collective focus is towards winning the World Cup and how we can do it,” he told reporters at a pre-series press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
“The messaging from you [the media] should be good as well, to tell the people that this team is united, there is love in this team and this team tries to play good cricket.
“It is just a game. If you portray it to the people, kids in a way that is too serious, they will be worried about why we are not winning.”
Shaheen was particularly emphatic in his support for Babar, describing the former captain as the “backbone” of the side.
“There is no pressure on Babar, he is our main player,” said the 26-year-old. “He is the backbone of this team.
“He has performed well over the past few home series.”
Under Shaheen, Pakistan’s ODI side has spent the past year rebuilding, winning all their home series in the process. Those assignments were played on slower surfaces, with spin-friendly pitches used most recently during the series against Australia in May and June.
The conditions for the tri-series, however, are expected to offer a different challenge, with pitches being prepared to better resemble those in South Africa. The surfaces appeared greener during Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, and Shaheen confirmed that there had been a deliberate effort to encourage lateral movement and bounce.
“Over the course of the last four one-day series, we have tried to build this team, since our focus is on [next year’s] World Cup and how we can prepare for it,” he said. “Henceforth we have also tried to prepare the wickets accordingly.”
Pakistan will also play a five-match ODI series in England before beginning their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on Oct 8.
“We want our fast bowlers to get help [off the surface] so when we play in South Africa and in England, both our bowling and our batting has the potential to get the other team out and chase the runs [respectively],” Shaheen said.
The conditions will also influence Pakistan’s team combination, with Shaheen indicating that the side could field three or four fast bowlers. That would make opener-turned-all-rounder Saim Ayub’s contribution with the ball particularly important, despite his recent struggles in T20 and Test cricket.
“Saim Ayub may have struggled in T20 cricket, he struggled in the Test match as well,” Shaheen said. “But as far as one-day cricket is concerned, we really need him.
“Because if we go with three or four pacers, then the team needs his bowling. If we keep giving him opportunities, he will thrive for Pakistan.”
Following their opening match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will face England on Oct 20 and 25 before taking on Sri Lanka again on Oct 27. The tri-series final is scheduled for Oct 31.