Win Projections to be updated soon
Rawalpindi, 17 November 2025:
Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said consecutive series wins and a dominant 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka reflect a team “moving in the right direction” ahead of a busy white-ball calendar and the T20 World Cup.
“First of all, we’re grateful to God for back-to-back series wins,” Shaheen said after Pakistan wrapped up the third ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. “Pakistan Shaheens won today as well and the most encouraging thing is how well our younger players have performed. Everybody contributed throughout the three matches.”
Shaheen said the squad’s confidence is rising but stressed that belief extends far beyond its senior stars.
“From No. 1 to No. 11, we have complete faith in every player,” he said. “Of course, having seniors like Babar and Rizwan at the crease brings stability. They’ve been the backbone of this team for a long time.”
On Babar Azam returning to form
Babar Azam’s long-awaited century in the series was a major talking point. Shaheen said it lifted the entire dressing room.
“Babar scoring a hundred isn’t something new, but yes, we’d all been waiting for it,” he said. “It’s a happy moment for Pakistan cricket. When your main player scores, the whole team relaxes. He’s worked very hard. Sometimes you don’t get a hundred despite good form, but he kept believing and kept fighting for it.”
He also praised wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
“Rizwan finished matches beautifully. He played exactly the kind of senior role we needed.”
On Mohammad Wasim Jnr’s role
Shaheen defended the team’s handling of fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr., who impressed when given a chance.
“Wasim had been struggling with injuries, so that affected his availability,” Shaheen said. “The management has used him wisely. Today he showed again that he has skill, especially his reverse swing. Every bowler in our pool is a potential game-changer.”
On expectations for the upcoming T20I Tri-series
With Pakistan set to face Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the T20I tri-series starting in Rawalpindi, Shaheen said the squad is ready to embrace the home-crowd expectations.
“God willing, we’ll carry this momentum into the tri-series,” he said. “From Test cricket until now, the team has been performing well. It’s not just one player, everyone is stepping up. We’re ready for the challenge, and we want to give our fans more to celebrate.”
