3 reasons why Shaheen Shah Afridi might struggle as T20I captain of Pakistan

After a big churn, Pakistan has finally kicked off a new phase in T20 internationals with Shaheen Shah Afridi at the helm of affairs. The shambolic campaign at the ODI World Cup in India led to the sacking of Babar Azam but the job would not be any easier for the new skipper. In this article, we will take a look at 3 reasons why Shaheen Shah Afridi might struggle as the T20I captain of Pakistan.

T20 World Cup Year

This is a very crucial year for the shortest format of the game as there is a T20I World Cup scheduled later this year in the West Indies and the USA. Shaheen Shah Afridi has got the captaincy at a very critical juncture. The opportunity has come his way just a few months before a major event like the T20I World Cup. 

With no prior captaincy experience in international cricket, Shaheen may find it hard to deal with the pressure associated with captaincy in a World Cup year. 

Coming out of Babar’s shadow

The left-arm fast bowler received the captaincy from Babar Azam who was a very influential figure in Pakistan cricket as a captain. Babar had the freedom to make all the important decisions related to the team and because of his batting performances, the aura just got bigger. 

Coming out of Babar’s shadow will be a big challenge for Shaheen as he cannot make decisions under the influence of another individual. 

It is not just about the captaincy 

A captain in Pakistan cricket does not only have to deal with the on-field affairs rather he has several other things to take care of. The backroom politics has been going on in Pakistan cricket for a long time and the same has also acted adversely for the team on various occasions. 

Shaheen will have to negotiate with that politics and deliver the results at the same time. This will be a huge task and if the balancing act is not perfect then the new skipper might have to bear the brunt of it.