Overview
- The PCB appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi as ODI captain for the South Africa series in Faisalabad on November 4, 6 and 8, replacing Mohammad Rizwan in the third leadership change in 12 months.
- Australia lead 1-0 after a seven-wicket win in a rain-hit Perth opener where Rohit Sharma scored 8 and Virat Kohli was out for a duck.
- Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri urged patience, saying the veteran batters need time to regain 50-over rhythm, with Ponting emphasizing short-term goals over talk of 2027.
- Analysts said India’s Perth XI, featuring Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, lacked wicket-taking threat on a bouncy surface, spurring calls to rebalance for conditions similar to South Africa.
- Rishabh Pant was cleared to return and will captain India A in two four-day matches against South Africa A in Bengaluru from October 30 to November 9 as part of Test build-up.