Kamal Ghorui
Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, has taken a swipe at Shadab Khan following the all-rounder’s post-match comments, reminding him of the challenges of handling success. Afridi said that while former Pakistan players had struggled to defeat India in World Cups, Shadab’s team managed it in 2021.After Pakistan’s 102-run win over Namibia in Colombo in their Group A match of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the 27-year-old Shadab was asked about criticism from former stars like Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf. He reminded the media that he had been part of the side that beat India in the 2021 World Cup in Dubai.
Following Pakistan’s defeat to India earlier in the tournament on February 15, Afridi and Yousuf had suggested dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab in favour of giving youngsters a chance. But under Salman Ali Agha’s leadership, Pakistan bounced back emphatically against Namibia, securing a Super 8s berth.In the Namibia game, Shadab shone with an unbeaten 35 and picked up three wickets, producing a near-perfect all-round performance. Yet his comments at the post-match press conference have sparked criticism among former players.Afridi responded, saying: “Shadab was absolutely right when he said that we didn’t beat India in the World Cups, but his side did. They got respect after that, but they couldn’t handle it. By the respect thing, I mean that after they defeated India, they could not handle the issues between them. Shadab should also know that when he was not able to perform for the team, we guys stood up for him on national television, saying he is the backbone of the team.”“I know Shadab, he is a very good guy, he has always spoken to us respectfully. When people talked about us during our playing days, we always backed up our words with our actions on the field. Not against the smaller teams, we used to perform against the bigger teams,” Afridi added.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 performances karo. We stood by you in your difficult times; you didn’t play domestic cricket, yet you still got into the national team. If you want to answer us, then do it by performing on the field. Perform and let the World Cup get over, we will get quiet after that,” Afridi said.Pakistan will kick off their Super 8s campaign on Saturday against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
