Shaheen backs Babar, discusses plans as New Zealand T20I series nears

Pakistan's T20I captain Shaheen Afridi opened up ahead of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand which will begin on January 12 in Auckland.

Shaheen was named captain of the T20I team after former skipper Babar Azam stepped down and this will be the left-arm pacer's first assignment as a skipper in tough New Zealand conditions.

The 23-year-old emphasised that before the 2024 World Cup begins, the management will try players at different positions to make sure we go with full strength at the mega event

"There are 17 T20I matches before the World Cup, and different combinations will be tried to determine the best playing positions," Shaheen said in a press conference.

"When facing England in the series, everyone will know what needs to be done. Before the World Cup, it's essential to determine who will play at which number and position. I don't want any injuries before the World Cup."

The 23-year-old opened up on the three-match Test series against Australia which Pakistan lost, saying that he bowled a lot in the first two matches, which is why he opted for rest in the last Test.

"I am fully fit, I bowled a lot in the first two Tests against Australia and both the management and I did not want to risk any injury. If there was an opportunity to win the series, I would have definitely played. I prefer playing Test cricket as this format is more appealing to me," he added.

Shaheen then showed gratitude for having the opportunity to lead the team where he also shed light on the past T20 tournaments where Pakistan managed to reach semi-finals and final but failed to win.

"It is a proud moment to lead the Pakistan team, we are performing well in T20 cricket. The competitiveness in big T20 events has been good. Unfortunately, we did not get the desired results in those events," he said.

"Playing semi-finals and finals of the World Cup is not easy, we made minor mistakes, but we will make efforts to not repeat them," the 23-year-old said.

"Some players in the New Zealand series squad are new and some made comebacks, we will do our best to make sure that everyone gets a chance."

"I don't think Babar's form is declining, one or two innings don't make a difference. He is our best batter. He has scored so many runs that I can't count them," Shaheen said when asked about Babar's current form.

He also addressed the concerns regarding his pace saying now every ball can be bowled at 140kph, but he will try to increase the pace.

"When I was bowling, and the board was displaying a low speed, it was surprising to all of us that I was bowling with all my strength, the speed was only showing 130," the left-armer said.

"Not every ball can be bowled at a speed of 140, I will make efforts to improve my fitness. I am the captain and will lead from the front."

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