Moin Khan calls Shaheen Afridi's removal from Pakistan captaincy 'unjust'; says 'Mohammad Rizwan a short-term option'

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan has criticized the decision to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi from the white-ball captaincy, arguing that it was unjustified.Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Moin said, "Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s. In white-ball cricket, I don’t see anyone else more suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I’ve noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy."Moin pointed out that frequently changing captains could affect player performance, noting, "How can you expect good performance if you don’t give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain." Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy after Pakistan's poor performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shaheen Afridi was then appointed as T20I captain, and Shan Masood as Test captain. However, after a 1-4 series loss to New Zealand, Afridi was replaced by Babar Azam just before the 2024 T20 World Cup.The frequent leadership changes have sparked concerns about Pakistan's long-term team strategy. Although Babar Azam remains a significant player, there have been talks of other leadership options, including Mohammad Rizwan, especially after Pakistan's home Test series loss to Bangladesh under Masood's captaincy.Moin stressed the importance of a stable leadership approach, suggesting, "A single captain can be appointed for all formats, but it's crucial for any player to perform consistently across formats to achieve this. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy."The Pakistan Cricket Board now faces the challenge of maintaining stability while developing future leaders for the team.