ISLAMABAD: Pakistan head coach Gary Kirsten and the team management accompanying him will have all the powers to decide on vice-captaincy if needed.
Six out of seven PCB selectors voted against naming a vice-captain for the European tour and T20 World Cup, hence no one was offered the position as is being speculated on the social media.
The News has talked to multiple sources to know the truth about rumours circulating that Shaheen Afridi was offered vice-captaincy ahead of Pakistan’s team departure for the World Cup.
The fact of the matter is that six selectors voted against appointing a vice-captain for the World Cup, the idea was dropped there and then.
“Since so many ifs and buts were involved due to mishandling of the captaincy and vice-captaincy issues by the previous regime six selectors believed that no one should be appointed as deputy to Babar Azam during the World Cup hence there was no point in offering vice-captaincy to anyone for the World Cup," a source said.
Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah were potential candidates for vice-captaincy.
“It was a better option not to offer the position to anyone for the World Cup,” a source added.
The PCB Management Committee that was there temporarily did not have a mandate to appoint or make any changes in captaincy which it did by replacing Babar Azam with Shaheen.
“That one wrong decision of shuffling with the captaincy complicated the issue and brought to the fore so many contenders creating an unnecessary race for different positions. A good majority of selectors for this very reason voted against appointing a deputy to Babar Azam during the World Cup.”
It has been decided that team management headed by Gary will be responsible for appointing vice-captaincy if ever there comes a requirement.
“If ever Babar leaves the field or is forced to skip a match, Gary will have the powers to decide on Babar’s deputy to marshal the field.”
Informed sources also told The News that once Shaheen Afridi was removed from captaincy ahead of the series against New Zealand at home, he was unofficially consulted by a selector about taking over the vice-captaincy.
“To cool down the situation, there was a suggestion that Shaheen Afridi should be appointed vice-captain instead. One of the selectors in an informal talk with Shaheen suggested the position before the series against New Zealand to which Shaheen refused. No official offer was made to the speedster to be the team’s vice-captain at any time.”
Abdul Mohi Shah Abdul Mohi Shah is a senior reporter for The News