The Pakistani cricket team will be heading into the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 without a designated vice-captain as Shaheen Afridi has rejected to be Babar Azam's deputy at the mega event in the USA and West Indies starting on June 1.
According to a report from ESPNCricinfo, the PCB Selection Committee reportedly approached the former skipper with a vice-captaincy offer but the latter rejected it. Pakistan were the last to announce their final squad for the World Cup 2024 but had named no vice-captain.
Shaheen, 24, famously replaced Babar Azam as a white-ball team captain after Pakistan's abysmal performance in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India. But, Babar surprisingly returned to the leadership role after Pakistan's embarrassing 0-5 T20I series loss against New Zealand in January.
The report also adds that the selection committee approached the star pacer and submitted their squad just four hours before the ICC deadline. The committed also considered all-rounder Shadab Khan's name, who was a vice-captain in white-ball cricket for a couple of years and the experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
But Shadab is struggling for form and is not a regular starter in the T20I team while the PCB dropped Rizwan's name citing they want someone young to deputy Babar in the World Cup. The selected 15-member squad reflects a perfect balance of experienced players and young talents with Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim returning to the side.
Pakistan are drawn in Group A with the hosts USA, Canada, Ireland and their rivals India. They will kick off their campaign against the USA in Texas on June 6 and face India in a mega encounter at New York's brand-new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 9.
Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024:
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
