Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has identified Shadab Khan as a strong candidate to take over the captaincy of the national T20I team after the conclusion of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Currently, Salman Ali Agha leads the team in the shortest format. However, the 2009 champions are currently on the brink of exit following their defeat to England in the Super Eight stage of the ongoing tournament.
Speaking on a private news channel, Afridi shared his thoughts on the future leadership of the team, linking it to the possible continuity of the current coaching staff.
“Had the same coach (Mike Hesson), in my opinion, Shadab Khan would have been appointed as the captain,” Afridi said.
He threw his weight behind the 27-year-old, citing lesser candidates for the leadership role.
“Satab is not a bad choice for the captaincy as we don’t have many other options at the moment,” he added.
However, the 48-year-old former captain insisted he must rediscover his best form to cement his place as Shatab captain.
“Had Shadab maintained consistency in his bowling, the way he has done in the past, it would have strengthened his case,” he said.
Afridi stressed that leadership should be accompanied by individual contribution.
“As captain, he has to continue to contribute his performances, so if someone talks about him, it’s worth mentioning. Appoint him as captain, but he has to perform,” he concluded.
Salman Ali Agha has been named Pakistan’s T20I captain in March 2025, succeeding wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan.
Under Agha’s leadership, Pakistan have played 49 T20Is, winning 30 and losing 18, with a win percentage of 61.22.
Despite this solid record, the team failed to qualify for the Asia Cup 2025, losing to arch-rivals India on four separate occasions.
Their struggles in major tournaments continued with another defeat to India in the 2026 T20 World Cup, adding to the recent history of close encounters between the two sides.