Shaheen Afridi dismisses captaincy rumors, pledges focus on representing Pakistan

Pakistan's left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has affirmed that his primary focus is representing his country, and he has no aspirations for captaincy. 

Afridi, who has recently been under scrutiny due to reports of an alleged argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during the national team’s tour to Ireland and England ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, emphasized that he was raised to avoid bringing negativity into the team.

"All team members are my friends. I was raised well, and I always fight for my country," Shaheen said. 

"I never think about captaincy. My prime focus is to represent my country and never bring negativity into the team," he added.

Following the reports of his alleged misconduct with Yousuf, local media suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) might take disciplinary action against Afridi, potentially excluding him from the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh.

When asked about these rumors, Shaheen expressed his unawareness. 

"I don’t know if I’m being dropped from the Test series [against Bangladesh]. My role is to play cricket, and I would do that with dignity," he concluded.

Previously, Pakistan's red-ball coach Jason Gillespie mentioned that Shaheen might miss the Bangladesh series as he and his wife are expecting their first child.

"Shaheen can miss Bangaladesh Test matches due to childbirth. We can give him [some] rest if he wants to stay with his wife till then," he said.