Rift between Shaheen Shah Afridi and Babar Azam? Pakistan pacer refuses to become vice-captain in T20 World Cup 2024

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 which is scheduled to start from June 2 in the USA and West Indies. Babar Azam will lead the side and there will be no deputy for the marquee event. Babar is currently leading Pakistan in the T20I series against England. 

Shaheen Afridi was appointed as Pakistan's skipper after Babar Azam was sacked from the captaincy because of the team's poor performance in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup which was held in 2023. But his captaincy stint didn't last long because Pakistan lost a T20I series against New Zealand after that Shaheen's PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars finished last on the PSL 2024 points table, the PCB reinstated Babar as the skipper in white-ball formats. 

As per ESPNcricinfo PCB selection committee raised the prospect of officially naming Shaheen as Babar Azam's deputy for the 2024 T20 World Cup, only to be rebuffed by the fast bowler. In the end, the World Cup squad, which was named hours before the ICC deadline to submit the final squad, did not officially have a vice-captain.

 

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Pakistan will play their tournament opener clash against co-host United States at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas on June 6 and they will face arch-rivals India on June 9 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. 

 

Babar Azam's Captaincy in T20 World Cup

 

Pakistan clinched their first-ever T20I win against India under Babar's captaincy in T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai. Pakistan cricket team under Babar Azam's captaincy were the finalists of the T20 World Cup 2022 where they faced England and lost the match by five wickets at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. 

 

Pakistan T20 World Cup squad

 

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.

 

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