Saqlain Mushtaq suggests Shadab Khan as potential captain for 2025 Champions Trophy

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team referred to the latest press conference of Saqlain Mushtaq as the mentor for the Panthers for the Champions One-Day Cup.

Multiple posts from users on social media platform X on September 16, 2024, claimed that former Pakistani cricketer and coach Saqlain Mushtaq suggested his son-in-law and spin bowler Shadab Khan to captain the national team in the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, the former coach said no such thing.

Pakistan will host the Men’s Champions Trophy in 2025. It will be the first major global cricket tournament to be played in Pakistan since 1996 when it hosted the Men’s Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka.

White-ball captain Babar Azam and red-ball skipper Shan Masood have come under immense criticism for Pakistan’s distressing shows in international cricket over the past year or so. A Babar-led team after failing badly in the 50-over Asia Cup and then the 2023 World Cup, crashed out of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies in the first round earlier this year. In the five-day Test format, the Shan-skippered Pakistan, following their 3-0 whitewash Down Under, suffered an extremely embarrassing-cum-stunning 2-0 sweep on home soil at the hands of Bangladesh.

This harrowing set of disasters has resulted in growing calls from all quarters concerned for a serious review of the team composition, as well as the captains who have been found wanting on several crucial stages.

According to some unconfirmed reports that have emerged recently, Babar and Shan are set to be sacked ahead of Pakistan’s next international assignment. Wicket-keeper/batter Mohammad Rizwan is reportedly being considered for captaincy in all the formats.

HOW IT STARTED

On September 16, 2024, an X user posted a screengrab of PCT coach Saqlain Mushtaq from his latest press conference for Champions One Day Club.

It also featured a photo of Shadab Khan from one of the cricket matches.

The caption of the post read: “Saqlain Mushtaq – The way Shadab Khan is performing & doing captaincy in this Champions Cup. I think Shadab Khan could be a better option for captain of Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025.”

The post was viewed by over 263,000 people.

The alleged quote was widely shared by other users as can be seen here, here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and the public’s keen interest in the affairs and management of the national cricket team amid its captaincy woes.

A reverse image search conducted for Mushtaq’s picture used in the posts led to a press conference announcing him as the mentor for the Lake City Panthers for the Champions One-Day Cup, uploaded to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s YouTube account on September 3, 2024.

Reviewing the press conference showed that Mushtaq made no such remark or suggestion throughout the 26-minute conversation.

Furthermore, Dawn.com sports correspondents Imran Siddique and Abdul Ghaffar also confirmed that Mushtaq had never uttered any comment such as this and no audio or video evidence was present for it.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim regarding Saqlain Mushtaq suggesting Shadab Khan should captain Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy is false.

The former coach has made no such remark or suggestion.

Evidence and References

September 3, 2024, Saqlain Mushtaq press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXBHxgCgxJw