Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has said he is not ready to take charge of the national T20I team at the moment.
Speaking in an interview with RAR Sports, Shadab said he was not mentally ready for the captaincy. He also supported current captain Salman Ali Agha and said he should be given more time.
Shadab said changing the captain often would not help the team. He stressed that Pakistan needs stability in its T20I leadership.
He also said that no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had contacted him about the captaincy.
Shadab has captained Pakistan before
Shadab has led Pakistan in T20I cricket on two occasions.
He first became captain during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand in 2020. He took charge after Babar Azam was ruled out due to an injury. Pakistan lost the three-match series 2-1.
Shadab later captained Pakistan in a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah in March 2023. Several senior players were rested for the series. Pakistan lost the series 2-1.
Shadab’s record with Islamabad United
Shadab has also been the captain of Islamabad United for several years. He took over the role before the 2020 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season.
Under his leadership, Islamabad United won their third PSL title in 2024. The team beat Multan Sultans by two wickets in the PSL 9 final in Karachi.
Islamabad United had previously won the PSL titles in 2016 and 2018.
Shadab also earned a place as captain in the official PSL 9 Team of the Tournament. He scored 305 runs and took 14 wickets during the season.
“Perform first, speak later”
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has advised national all-rounder Shadab Khan to respond to criticism with his performance rather than giving statements about former cricketers.
This advice came after Shadab Khan, while reacting to criticism following the defeat against India, taunted former players by saying, “They did not do what we have done; we have beaten India in the World Cup.”
Speaking on a program of a local news channel, Shahid Afridi said that Shadab is justified in defending the achievements of his fellow players; however, after the historic victory against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup, the team failed to handle respect and pressure.
