Shahid Afridi, the former chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team, has spoken out against Najam Sethi’s decision to appoint Shan Masood as the vice-captain of the ODI team.
When the white-ball vice-captain, Shadab Khan, sustained a fracture in his finger, the PCB Chairman chose the opening batter, Shan Masood, over experienced players like Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, and Fakhar Zaman who have consistently performed well in the format. The decision, which came before the series against New Zealand, created a stir in the cricket fraternity as Masood had not played many ODIs for Pakistan and was not even in the playing XI for the first two matches.
Sharing his side of the story, Shahid Afridi stated in an interview that the selection committee should have been consulted before making such a decision and that performance should be the primary consideration when appointing a captain or vice-captain. He also pointed out that Masood had not played many ODIs for Pakistan and that there were senior players available who should have been considered instead.
The former cricketer also expressed his concerns about how this decision could affect the morale of senior players in the team and said that an appointment of an inexperienced player as vice-captain could have a negative impact.
“Shan Masood shouldn’t have been announced as the vice-captain. Shan wasn’t in the captain’s XI for the first 2 ODIs, nor was he in my XI. Performances are important. You can’t appoint a captain or vice-captain on the basis of performances for Derbyshire. He had also not played many ODIs for Pakistan, and there were senior players around, like Rizwan and Shadab. If you bring in someone who hasn’t performed or played a lot and make him the vice-captain, it affects the senior players who are playing,” said Shahid Afridi.
It is pertinent to mention that Shan Masood, along with the Pakistan Cricket Board, had faced massive backlash on social media after he was appointed the vice-captain while he was not even in the playing XI.
