Shahid Afridi, the ex-captain of Pakistan, has voiced his support for his son-in-law, Shaheen Shah Afridi, amidst rumors of the towering pace bowler being replaced as the captain of the national T20 team.
"I think that if you have appointed someone as captain (Shaheen) and given him the responsibility then give him time as well," Afridi told the media here on Tuesday.
"The biggest problem with our cricket is that our system changes whenever the faces change in the board. Whoever comes thinks whatever he is doing is the best for Pakistan cricket," said Afridi.
Afridi expressed his belief that Shaheen deserves sufficient time to demonstrate his capabilities.
"If you change the captain then either the decision to appoint him was wrong or the decision to change him now is wrong," he added.
Afridi was perceived as a key influencer in the decision to appoint Shaheen as the national T20 captain following last year's ODI World Cup in India. Babar Azam was relieved of his duties as the white-ball captain after Pakistan's premature exit from the tournament. Subsequently, Azam also relinquished his role as the captain in the red-ball format.
Additionally, Afridi endorsed the idea of hiring a foreign coach, suggesting that the individual should possess a prominent profile akin to Andy Flower, renowned for his impressive track record.
"I believe that even if you bring in a foreign coach, the staff under him should be Pakistani so that our people can also move forward and improve their skills," he said.
When questioned about the inclusion of Imad Wasim and Muhammad Amir in the national training camp, Afridi expressed the opinion that it would have been wiser to evaluate their fitness levels beforehand.
"But I can tell you that if they can come through this two-week training camp in Kakul they will be supermen," he said.
Amir, who came out of retirement after 2020, has also voiced support for Shaheen as the T20 captain.
He posted on 'X': "Shaheen is not bad and I think he should be given time to prove his credentials."
(With PTI inputs)
