Mohammad Hafeez happy that Afridi set to lead Pakistan

Shahid Afridi, the newly appointed Pakistan T20I captain, has received the backing of ex-skipper, Mohammad Hafeez.

"I am happy for Afridi and it will be my endeavor that as a senior player I would like to work with him to see Pakistan do well in the coming matches," said Hafeez.

Hafeez stepped down from captaincy recently and said that he was happy with his decision.

"When I decided to step down as the national T20 captain this year I took the decision after much thought and I dont regret that decision at all," he said.

Afridi has been appointed captain until the 2016 World T20 and the decision has been welcomed whole-heartedly by Hafeez.

"I never thought about the captaincy when the board was to announce the new captain. What I am happy about is that they have given Afridi a proper term as captain.

"I believe that a captain and coach should be given proper time to do what they want to get the team to perform well and achieve the required results.

"I am sure with his (Afridi's) vast experience he will build a strong team for the World T20 in the two years that he has. He is a aggressive player and can get the players to push themselves," he added.

Pakistan's head coach, Waqar Younis also told reporters today that Afridi's appointment was a positive sign.

"It is a good thing because he is an experienced player and knows everything inside out and I would like to see him taking the team forward," Waqar said.