Pakistan cricket has a rich history in T20I cricket. Recently Pakistan played the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 against the English side but failed to notch up the title. However, there has been some debate about whether the team needs a new vice-captain or not.
Why this Issue has Arrived?
There has been a lot of debate in recent months over whether Pakistan should have a new T20 deputy captain. Shadab Khan, the current vice-captain, has come under fire for his recent performances. Pakistan lost the three-match Twenty20 International series against Afghanistan 2-1, and Shadab was criticised for his bowling and captaincy. His performances were not up to the mark both in the bowling and batting domain.
Also Read: Shadab Khan – The X-Factor of Pakistan
Why Pakistan needs a new T20 Vice Captain?
There are numerous reasons in favour of Pakistan naming a new vice-captain. Firstly, the current vice-captain, Shadab Khan, has been dealing with injuries in recent months, and his performance has observed a downtrodden curve as a result. Furthermore, Pakistan has a lot of skilled players who might take over as vice-captain. Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Iftikhar Ahmed are among them.
Possible Candidates for a New T20 Vice Captain
Mohammad Rizwan
The backbone of the team Pakistan especially in T20I, Mohammad Rizwan performed excellently across all formats of the game. His numbers in T20I are just phenomenal.
He is the second most successful captain in PSL history with a winning ratio of 66.66%. Under his leadership, Multan Sultans won the PSL trophy for the first time in 2021. He also took his team to the final twice consecutively but he failed to win the title.
He is a strong leader who has great game awareness, more importantly, he knows Babar’s mind well so he can be a good option for a new vice-captain of the Pakistan team.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shaheen Shah Afridi is a young fast bowler who is already regarded as one of the most prominent fast bowlers in the world. Without any doubt, currently, he is one of the most dangerous fast bowlers with a new ball. His first spell is the nightmare for openers.
Shaheen is a natural leader and has the potential to become an excellent captain in the future for Pakistan. As Lahore Qalandar’s captain, he has proved himself by claiming back-to-back titles in the PSL, he is the first captain who holds this record. He is the most successful captain in PSL history with a winning ratio of 68%.
If we are looking for a future leader then the premier fast bowler is the best option for vice-captain. Former test cricketer and Director of Cricket of Lahore Qalandars, Aaqib Javed, has also expressed that Shaheen should lead Pakistan in the T20 format.
Iftikhar Ahmed
There may be a surprise for some cricket fans to see the name of Iftikhar Ahmed on that list. But Iftikhar proved himself as an integral part of the team Pakistan. His recent numbers in the T20 format are just outstanding. His performances in World Cup especially against India and South Africa proved that he is a big match player and can handle pressure with ease.
Iftikhar led the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National T20 Cup 2021 and won the title due to his all-round performance in the final match. In the final, he picked up three wickets for just five runs in two overs. Furthermore, he played a magnificent inning of 45 of just 19 balls while chasing the target. The right-hander batter was declared as a player of the match as well as the player of the tournament.
As an integral member and with his T20 experience, the hard-hitting batter can be a new deputy of Babar Azam in the shorter format of the game.
