Shaheen Shah Afridi, the two-time PSL-winning captain, has the opportunity to become the most successful skipper this season if he secures a third title.

In an interview with an international media platform, Afridi revealed his unexpected journey to captaincy, stating, “I have not captained at any age level, really, maybe once at Under-19 level. I never even had an interest in captaincy. But then in 2021, I was sitting in the PM office with Sameen bhai (Lahore Qalandars owner) and Aqib Javed, and Imran Khan (then Pakistan Prime Minister) suggested that I be appointed captain. Obviously, you can never say no to Imran bhai. After that, I became captain of Lahore. I was vice-captain, but when Imran bhai said I should be captain, that’s when the change happened.”

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Under Afridi’s leadership, Lahore Qalandars experienced a positive turnaround, clinching back-to-back PSL titles in 2022 and 2023.

Afridi attributed his success to Imran Khan, stating, “When we won the title in 2022, I went to meet Imran bhai and told him ‘at least we’ve now won one title!’ And I thanked him at the time for showing faith in me. That’s when my captaincy started, until then I had no interest. Imran said most great fast bowlers have been captains because fast bowlers have the authority to set fields and they understand other fast bowlers, concerning what they need and what they’re going through. Those few nuggets of wisdom from him were very valuable to me, and I’d like to give him full credit for it.”

Regarding the prospect of securing a third PSL title, Afridi expressed confidence, stating, “We’ve won twice, so winning a third – why not?”