The Pakistan team management decided that enough was enough. After a disastrous 61-run defeat by India in Colombo on Sunday, the decision will reportedly be made to drop senior stars Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the crucial group stage clash against Namibia on Wednesday, February 18.
A PTI report suggests that the duo will be benched after falling short in a high-stakes encounter against their arch-rivals. Despite their experience and status as two of Pakistan’s biggest names, both players were among the worst when it mattered most.
Pakistan started promisingly, with the captain Salman Ali Agha dismisses Abhishek Sharma in the first over. The bowlers did a reasonable job in restricting India to 175/7, giving the batting unit a realistic target. However, the batsmen crumbled under pressure and failed to capitalize on their advantage of being used to Sri Lankan conditions.
LEADERSHIP REQUIRES ACCOUNTABILITY
After the loss, head coach Mike Hesson delivered a brutally honest assessment in the locker room, telling the players they had not lived up to their potential. The management of the think tank met late into the night and concluded that changes were necessary.
“Late at night the management think tank decided enough was enough and it was to field Babar and Shaheen and try Salman Mirza/Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman against Namibia on Wednesday,” revealed the source.
The decision was not taken lightly. Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Mohsin Naqvi reportedly left the R Premadasa Stadium early defeat became inevitable and he later communicated his displeasure to team manager Naved Akram Cheema. The message was clear: such performances in games that matter are neither understandable nor acceptable.
Shaheen Afridi is expected to replace either Salman Mirza or Naseem Shah, while Champions Trophy hero Fakhar Zaman could return to the XI in place of Babar Azam. The management is also interested in young talents like Khawaja Nafay in the middle order if the changes prove successful.
FORMER STARS ADD PRESSURE
Criticism was not limited to the leadership. Pakistan cricket legends Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi also expressed their frustration after India’s loss. Akhtar questioned why underperforming players continued to get opportunitieswhile Shahid Afridi was even more direct, calling for his son-in-law Shaheenwho is set to be cast alongside Babar Azam and Shadab Khan.
Having defeated the lowly USA and the Netherlands before this heavy loss, Pakistan cannot afford any slip-up against Namibia if they want to advance to the Super Eight stage. The pressure is mounting and management has made it clear that reputation alone no longer guarantees a place in the playing eleven.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 16, 2026