Babar dismisses claims of rift with Afridi

The reappointed Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam dismissed reports of any rift with Shaheen Afridi, saying that they 'support each other' and are focused on doing what's best for the Pakistan cricket team.

Shaheen had been named Pakistan's T20I captain after Babar resigned from captaincy in all formats following Pakistan's underwhelming showing in last year's ODI World Cup in India.

But Shaheen's captaincy stint was short-lived as he was removed from the role after a five-match series in New Zealand which they lost 4-1 against the hosts.

The manner of his removal also sparked controversy as the PCB attributed quotes to Shaheen which he had never said in the press release where they declared Babar's return as T20I captain.

Babar, before beginning his first series after being renamed as T20I skipper, cleared the air about his relationship with Shaheen, the team's star pacer, saying there is no rift between them.

"I want to make clear that Shaheen [Afridi] and my bond is not recent, it goes back a long way," Babar said on the eve of the T20I series opener against New Zealand in Rawalpindi yesterday.

"We support each other in every situation. Our aim is to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan's name up in lights. We don't think of individual glory, and thankfully, those elements are not present in my team," he added.