Shaheen Shah Afridi was offered the vice-captaincy of the Pakistan T20 side ahead of the World Cup squad announcement, but rejected the chance to take up the position.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that the PCB selection committee raised the prospect of officially naming Shaheen as Babar Azam’s deputy for the 2024 T20 World Cup, only to be rebuffed by the fast bowler.
In the end, the World Cup squad, which was named hours before the ICC deadline to submit the final squad, did not officially have a vice-captain.
Though Shaheen had opted to put the matter of being stripped of the T20 captaincy after one series behind him, a sense of injustice continues to linger.
The player has never felt the reasons for his dismissal were ever adequately explained to him, and having been unceremoniously dumped from one leadership position, he was understood to not be keen to jump into another.
The latest development in the PCB-Shaheen saga only further demonstrates the challenges that lie ahead in mending a relationship that was put under severe strain a few weeks ago.
