Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is the best fast bowler in the world at present indeed. The way he has improved and polished himself in such a short career is remarkable and of course his own hard work and dedication can never be ignored. He has indeed a very long career ahead in the international cricket.   

He is just 21, and Lahore Qalandars has appointed him as their captain. (“Shaheen Shah Afridi to lead Lahore Qalandars in PSL 7 edition,” Gulf Today online edition, Dec.20.) Lahore Qalandars on Monday announced that Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the side in the seventh edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL). CEO Lahore Qalandars Atif Rana said that the star fast bowler will lead the team in PSL 7 edition in 2022. Shaheen Afridi replaces Sohail Akhtar who led the side in last two editions.

But his appointment as a captain worries me.  He is too young to handle the role of a captain. They should have allowed the pacer to focus on his skills at the moment. He still needs to learn other nuances of the game. He should have been allowed to exhibit what he is good at now. Captaincy is a different ball game. Shaheen can be the future captain, he has immense potential, but let him mature first.  

I think Lahore Qalandars just want to capitalise Shaheen’s star value, which they should not have done. I hope Shaheen’s performance should not get affected with his new responsibility. Only the time will tell which direction he will go. Let’s see.  Anyways, we all are waiting eagerly for PSL 7 to begin. It is very exciting platform for youngsters also. We get to see so many young and talented players. PSL helps to fetch talents from every corner of Pakistan. And this year won’t be exception.  

Zulfiqar Khan
By email