Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi went on an all-out rant against Pakistan’s senior trio after their crushing defeat to India in Colombo, calling for Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan to be benched for the rest of the T20 World Cup. The former Pakistan captain said it was time to move on from repeated failures and give youngsters a fair chance.
Pakistan’s latest collapse against India it only fueled the criticism, with Afridi arguing that the team could not continue to trust the same senior names without returns. Speaking on a Pakistani news programme, Afridi said he would drop all three in the upcoming matches and return to the juniors.
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“So if I had to make a decision here, I would even sit Shaheen, sit Babar and also Shadab. I would play the new guys, give the youngsters a chance. And in our game against Namibia, I would support them, give them confidence and keep playing with them,” Afridi said.
“Because we’ve watched these players for so long – they keep getting opportunities. And every time we expect them to perform against a team like this. They’re older players. If they’re not doing anything for you, why not play juniors sitting on the bench? What’s the big difference?”
How bad were Babar, Shaheen, Shadab in IND vs PAK?
Babar Azam’s struggles, especially against Indiacontinued in Colombo. Chasing 176, Pakistan’s top batsman managed just five runs off seven balls before being dismissed by Axar Patel, extending a poor record in T20Is against India.
Shaheen Afridi, who is expected to lead Pakistan’s pace attack, endured a nightmare despite the team largely relying on rotation in the innings. Pakistan threw as many as seven bowlers at India in an attempt to disrupt their rhythm, but it was their premiership fast bowler who ultimately took the biggest hit.
Shaheen finished as Pakistan’s most expensive bowler, conceding 31 runs in just two overs. He trusted in the second over and then the last over of the innings, conceding 16 runs in both spells, a costly comeback that allowed India to build momentum and finish strongly.
Shadab Khan also had a memorable all round match. He was dismantled for 17 runs in one game with the ball and failed to anchor the chase with the bat, scoring a slow 14 before getting out.
How India extended its rule over Pak
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India once again underlined their grip on Pakistan with a crushing 61-run victory on Sunday, February 15. The result was an unequivocal World T20 scoreline in India’s favor 8–1 and secured India a place in the Super 8s.
Ishan Kishan set the tone with a blistering 77 off 40 balls as India were bowled out for 175. Pakistan’s chase never took off, with Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel taking two wickets each before Pakistan were bowled out for 114.
The heavy defeat has now intensified scrutiny at home, with Afridi’s comments reflecting growing frustration around Pakistan’s top core following another one-sided loss to India.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 16, 2026