Why Pakistan no longer trusts Babar Azam | T20 World Cup 2026
After Pakistan’s defeat to India earlier in the tournament on 15 February, Afridi and Yousuf suggested dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab to give the youngsters a chance. But led by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan emphatically fended off Namibia to secure a place in the Super 8s.In the Namibia game, Shadab shone with an unbeaten 35 and picked up three wickets to complete a near-perfect all-round performance. Still, his comments at the post-match press conference drew criticism from former players.Afridi replied, “Shadab was absolutely right when he said we didn’t beat India in the World Cup but his side did. After that they got respect but they didn’t manage it. By respect I mean they didn’t manage the issues between them after they beat India. Shadab should also know that when he wasn’t able to play for the team in the national team, we guys stood up for him.”“I know Shadab, he is a very good person, he always spoke to us with respect. When people spoke about us during our playing days, we always backed up our words with our actions on the field. Not against smaller teams, we were used to playing against bigger teams,” added Afridi.The former captain urged Shadab to let his performance answer the critics during the upcoming Super 8s matches against New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka. “So Shadab beta, aap bhi performance kariye. Beta performance karo. We stood by you in your tough times; you didn’t play domestic cricket yet you made it to the national team. If you want to answer us, do it by performing on the field. Perform and let the World Cup die, after that we will shut up,” Afridi said.Pakistan will begin their Super 8s campaign on Saturday against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.