Three Pakistan cricketers whose beard didn't turn grey despite captaining the team

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is trending all over the internet - not for shattering any record or for his spiritual visits, but because of the beard he's been sporting in a recent image circulating on social media. In the latest viral picture, Virat Kohli could be seen posing with a man named Shash Kiran, and what caught everyone’s eye was Kohli’s noticeably greying beard. A section of fans have expressed deep concern over Virat Kohli’s mature look, fearing that ODI retirement isn’t too far away.

Kohli’s beard began turning grey after taking over the captaincy mantle from MS Dhoni. The pressure of leading an international cricket team is immense. Many cricketers who have captained the Indian team have shown visible signs of that stress, including the greying of their beards over time. However, as with anything in life, there are always exceptions. Interestingly, there are some Pakistan cricketers who have led their nation but their beards didn’t turn grey despite carrying it permanently.

Here's a look at three top cricketers from Pakistan whose beards didn’t turn grey despite the pressure of captaincy: 

1. Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi is a beloved figure in Pakistan, known for maintaining a youthful appearance even after crossing into his 40s. Afridi stunned the cricket world when he burst onto the international stage with a 36-ball century against India in ODIs, he made his international debut at the age of 16 and played for over two decades. 

After entertaining the world with his huge sixes for more than a decade. He was made the T20 and ODI full-time captain in 2009 and 2010, respectively. He led Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup. Pakistan topped the group stage points tally and reached the final. 

Noticeably, Afridi often sported a light stubble or short beard throughout his career, but it never turned grey. 

2. Babar Azam 

Babar Azam caught everyone’s attention when he arrived on the international stage. He was the quickest to score five ODI hundreds. He was the joint second-fastest to 2000 ODI runs, the fastest to 1000 in T20Is, and became one of Pakistan's leading century makers. Consistent scoring with the bat for a few years and a calm head under pressure helped him get the leadership role. 

In late 2019 and throughout 2020, Pakistan appointed Babar Azam as captain of both the T20I and ODI teams. He has led the team for a significant period and drew criticism for both his batting and captaincy. However, Babar has still managed to keep the colour of his beard intact. Despite being heavily trolled, the stress did not show in any change to the colour of his beard.

3. Mohammad Rizwan 

Mohammad Rizwan took over Babar Azam as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain on 28th October 2024. Rizwan was given the responsibility to rebuild the white-ball teams after Pakistan’s early exits in the T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup. Under his captaincy, Pakistan failed to win a single game in the ICC Champions Trophy and also suffered humiliating T20 and ODI series defeats against New Zealand. While his captaincy stint has been brief, his poor performances with the bat have often been criticised and he was also dropped from Pakistan’s T20I team. Mohammad Rizwan still manages to carry a well kept beard with no signing of turning greyish.