Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten has been granted the final authority to appoint the national side’s vice-captain if necessary, The News reported on Monday.
This development comes after six out of seven Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors voted against appointing a vice-captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, set to begin on June 1.
“Due to the mishandling of captaincy and vice-captaincy issues by the previous regime, six selectors believed that no one should be appointed as deputy to Babar Azam,” a source told the publication.
They added that the team management, led by Kirsten, would be responsible for appointing a vice-captain if required.
“It was a better option not to offer the position to anyone for the World Cup,” the source added.
On Saturday, Geo News reported, citing sources, that pacer Shaheen Afridi had declined the PCB’s offer to become vice-captain.
The left-arm fast bowler’s refusal came after the board reinstated Babar Azam and replaced him as the team’s T20 captain in March, based on the recommendation of the newly formed selection committee.
Sources indicated that Afridi was “not prepared” to take on the vice-captaincy.
Senior sports journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti told Geo News that Afridi took it seriously when he was stripped of the T20 captaincy after just five matches.
Bhatti added that Afridi chose to focus on his cricket to maintain team unity ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Bhatti noted that Afridi’s father-in-law, Shahid Afridi, advised him to concentrate on his performance, which would eventually lead to leadership opportunities.
Moreover, sources informed The News that the PCB Management Committee, operating temporarily, did not have the mandate to appoint or change the captaincy, which it did by replacing Babar with Shaheen.
“That one wrong decision of altering the captaincy created many contenders, causing an unnecessary race for different positions.
For this reason, a majority of selectors voted against appointing a deputy to Babar Azam during the World Cup,” the source said.
“If Babar leaves the field or misses a match, Gary will have the power to decide on his deputy to lead the team,” the source noted.
Informed sources told the publication that after Shaheen was removed from captaincy ahead of the series against New Zealand at home, a selector unofficially consulted him about taking over the vice-captaincy.
“To ease the situation, there was a suggestion to appoint Shaheen Afridi as vice-captain.
One selector informally suggested the position to Shaheen before the New Zealand series, which Shaheen declined. No official offer was made to him at any time,” the source said.
