Shaheen Afridi & Babar Azam | Source: X.com
Ever since Babar Azam was reappointed as the white-ball captain of the Pakistan cricket team, reports of a rift between Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam have surfaced.
Notably, Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as the captain of the Pakistan T20 team a few months ago, but he could only lead the Men in Green for just one series, during which Pakistan suffered a 4–1 defeat against New Zealand.
Furthermore, Lahore Qalandars, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024, finished at the bottom of the points table with just one victory from 10 league stage matches.
After witnessing Shaheen Afridi’s poor performance as captain, the new chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, and the selectors decided to remove him from the role and reappoint Babar Azam as the captain.
Rift Between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi?
Just one day ahead of the five-match T20 series against New Zealand, during a press conference, there were many questions directed at Babar Azam, including one about the reported rift between him and the star pacer of Pakistan.
However, the stylish right-hander tactfully addressed the question, stating that it is only the media that keeps writing reports about their rift, and social media keeps spreading it, while they remain good friends both on and off the field.
Here is what Babar Azam said in the press conference when asked about if he had any face-off with Shaheen Afridi in Kakul camp:
“You people know it better than us. There are no issues between us. Our bond goes back a long time, it’s not new. We support each other and always put Pakistan first.”
With the T20 World Cup 2024 just around the corner, the upcoming period is going to be crucial for the Men in Green. It will be interesting to see if Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, who came out of retirement to play for Pakistan, will get selected for the prestigious tournament, set to be held in the USA.