Shaheen Afridi responds to captaincy question ahead of 2027 ODI World Cup
Afridi remains focused on World Cup despite questions over Pakistan captaincy
MULTAN: Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has addressed the uncertainty surrounding his leadership ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, as he leads Pakistan Gold in the National Champions Cup 2026, which is scheduled to run from August 11 to 18.
Speaking to the media at a joint press conference with the captains of the National Champions Cup teams, Shaheen was asked whether he had been assured that he would remain Pakistan's captain until the 2027 World Cup, amid frequent changes in the team's leadership in recent years.
"For now, I am the captain," Shaheen replied.
The left-arm pacer also highlighted the importance of the National Champions Cup, saying the tournament would help Pakistan build a wider pool of players ahead of the World Cup.
"Whenever we go to a World Cup, we face a lot of injuries. In case there are any injuries before the World Cup, we will already have players available. The tournament pool will make it easier for us to find replacements," he said.
Shaheen added that the competition would provide players with an opportunity to perform in their respective roles.
"This tournament will give everyone an opportunity to play according to their respective positions," he said.
The Pakistan ODI captain described the Champions Cup as an important platform for preparing for the upcoming World Cup, stressing that both individual performances and overall team fitness would be closely assessed.
"All the players will try to put in good performances. As I said, our focus is on the World Cup. Besides individual performances, the performances and fitness of other players will also be assessed," he added.
"It will also be very important in terms of the cricket we will play in the coming days," Shaheen concluded.
The National Champions Cup will begin on Tuesday at the Multan Cricket Stadium, with four teams competing in a single round-robin format. Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues and Pakistan Gold will face each other once during the league stage.
The top two teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the final, which is scheduled to be played on August 18.
Earlier on Monday, the trophy unveiling ceremony was held at the Multan Cricket Stadium and was attended by the captains of the four participating teams: Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan Gold, Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan Blues, Saim Ayub of Pakistan Whites and Faheem Ashraf, who was standing in for Pakistan Greens captain Shadab Khan.
Pakistan Gold
Playing XI: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Nawaz, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Muhammad Imran and Saad Khan.
National Champions Cup 2026 schedule
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