ISLAMABAD: Pakistani speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi on Friday dismissed concerns about unity within the national cricket team ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, saying there was no discord within the squad where every player was focusing on winning the big tournament next month.
Afridi was appointed as the T20I captain after Babar Azam announced his decision to step down following the team’s underperformance in last year’s Asia Cup, hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as the ODI World Cup played in India. However, his tenure was brief and ended in March 2024, following Pakistan’s 4-1 defeat in the T20I series against New Zealand.
Azam was brought back to lead the national team, but the leadership change was surrounded by contentious statements that triggered a debate about the lack of solidarity within the team.
“If there are ever small misunderstandings, these happen in every family,” he said during his appearance on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s podcast focusing on his career and the team’s ongoing dynamics. “And when there are brothers, they also sometimes have disagreements over little things. But thankfully, there is nothing like that in this team.”
“Our effort is always to play with unity,” he continued. “This is not the time where there can be argument or discord. This is a time when everyone has to be involved in one process, moving together with unity toward achieving the same goal.”
Afridi said he had fully recovered from his injury last year.
He maintained it was the team’s “job to play cricket and bring joy to our nation.”
“We are also tired of telling people that we will win the World Cup,” he said with a smile. “But God willing, this time we will make this happen.”
