Pakistana cricket-loving nation, has seen a constant change in leadership in its One Day International (ODI) team throughout its history, reflecting a difficult quest for stability and consistent success on the world stage. The captaincy is one of the most demanding roles in world cricket, and for Pakistan it is often a hot spot that requires resilience, tactical acumen and the ability to unify a team renowned for its talent. This frequent rotation underlines the immense focus on the skipper’s performances and results, particularly in the run-up to major tournaments.
Shaheen Afridi named ODI captain
As part of the latest of several recent changes, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) star player named left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi as new ODI captain, replacing wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan. Shaheen’s appointment, announced in October 2025, follows a period of mixed results under Rizwan.
Rizwan, who took over in October 2024, has led the team in 20 ODIs, winning 9 and suffering 11 defeats, which equates to a winning percentage of 45.00%. Afridi’s first assignment should be the three-match ODI series against South Africa in November 2025. The move marks a new push for new management, with the aggressive young coach now tasked with leading the team’s white-ball strategy.
Captaining Shaheen Afridi: National success and international challenges
Shaheen Shah Afridi has established himself as a successful leader in franchise cricket, with his national captaincy experience primarily focused on Pakistan Super League (PSL). Appointed captain of Lahore Qalandars, he enjoyed remarkable success in leading the team to three PSL titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025, becoming the first captain in the history of the tournament to win three championships. This success in the domestic T20 league cemented his reputation as a capable leader, with his aggressive approach and performances with ball and bat key to the team’s triumphs.
On the international stage, Afridi’s captaincy experience has been more volatile, having briefly led the Pakistan T20I team. Although he was made the T20I captain after the ODI World Cup 2023he was dismissed after a 4-1 defeat in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand in early 2024. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board recently named him the new ODI captain, replacing Rizwan, indicating continued confidence in his leadership potential within the domestic setup for the 50-over format.
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| # | Player | Duration (first to last match) | Matches (M) | Won (F) | Lost (L) | Tied (T) | No results (NR) | Earn % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intikhab Alam | 1973-1974 | 32 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| 2 | Majid Khan | 1975-1975 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 3 | Asif Iqbal | 1975-1979 | 24 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| 4 | Mushtaq Mohammad | 1976-1978 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 5 | Wassim Bari | 1977-1978 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8:00 p.m. |
| 6 | Javed Miandad | 1980-1993 | 62 | 23 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 41.93 |
| 7 | Zaheer Abbas | 1982-1984 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 38.46 |
| 8 | Imran Khan | 1982-1992 | 39 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 53.95 |
| 9 | Sarfraz Nawaz | 1984-1984 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 10 | Abdul Qadir | 1987-1988 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8:00 p.m. |
| 11 | Salim Malik | 1992-1995 | 42 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 61.76 |
| 12 | Ramiz Raja | 1992-1997 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 31.11 |
| 13 | Wasim Akram | 1993-2000 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 60.55 |
| 14 | Waqar Younis | 1993-2003 | 37 | 23 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 62.16 |
| 15 | Moin Khan | 1995-2001 | 34 | 14 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 58.82 |
| 16 | Saeed Anwar | 1995-2000 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 45:45 |
| 17 | Aamer Sohail | 1996-1998 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 34.48 |
| 18 | Rachid Latif | 1998-2003 | 25 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 52:00 |
| 19 | Inzamma-Streat | 2002-2007 | 75 | 33 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 44.62 |
| 20 | Mohammed Yousuf | 2003-2010 | 26 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 25:00 |
| 21 | Younis Khan | 2005-2009 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 38.09 |
| 22 | Abdoul Razzaq | 2006-2006 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 23 | Shoaïb Malik | 2007-2019 | 41 | 16 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 60.97 |
| 24 | Misbah-ul-Haq | 2008-2015 | 74 | 39 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 51.72 |
| 25 | Shahid Afridi | 2009-2014 | 38 | 18 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 50.00 |
| 26 | Azhar Ali | 2015-2017 | 31 | 14 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 38.70 |
| 27 | Sarfaraz Ahmed | 2015-2019 | 50 | 29 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 56h00 |
| 28 | Mohamed Hafeez | 2017-2017 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 29 | Imad Wassim | 2019-2019 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 30 | Babar Azam | 2020-2024 | 36 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 41.66 |
| 31 | Mohammad Rizwan | 2024-2025 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| 32 | Shaheen Shah Afridi | 2025 to present | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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