PCB decides against appointing vice-captain for Pakistan team

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) selection committee decided not to appoint any vice-captain for the national side just a day after pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi turned the down offer of the post. 

The development came after Shaheen expressed disinterest in taking up the role of the vice-captain. 

“During Friday’s selection committee meeting, discussions on vice-captaincy took place. However, it was unanimously decided not to appoint anyone,” said the PCB statement.

“As such no offer was made to anyone,” the statement added.

A day earlier, multiple sources claimed that selectors had approached Shaheen, asking if he would be interested in the role of vice-captain. However, the discussion couldn’t proceed further after the pacer expressed no interest.

Sources close to Shaheen confirmed that the selection committee had offered the pacer to become the team's vice-captain and skipper Babar Azam's second-in-command, which he refused to accept.

The development came after the board, in March, reinstated Babar as the white-ball captain, replacing Shaheen, after the newly formed selection committee's recommendation to change the skipper.

Under Zaka Ashraf, the cricket body had appointed the fast-bowler as the white-ball captain following the team's drubbing in the ICC World Cup 2023.