Kamal Ghorui
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has delivered a blunt assessment of Shaheen Shah Afridi, stating that the left-arm pacer does not even merit a place in Pakistan’s T20I playing XI given his current struggles.Since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, Afridi has not been able to replicate his earlier impact, with his performances across formats lacking consistency and control. His campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was particularly disappointing, and he was even left out of the group-stage clash against Namibia after conceding more than 20 runs in just two overs against India.Afridi’s challenges have extended beyond T20 cricket. Under his leadership, Pakistan recently suffered an ODI series defeat to Bangladesh, prompting widespread criticism. While some fans and experts have argued that he should be relieved of ODI captaincy and instead be handed charge of the T20I side in place of Salman Ali Agha, Latif dismissed the idea outright.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Latif said that discussions around Afridi’s captaincy are misplaced, insisting that the fast bowler must first reclaim his position in the team. He remarked that although Afridi might have been a suitable leadership option earlier, his current form does not justify even a spot in the T20I XI, let alone the captaincy.During the Bangladesh ODI series, Afridi managed four wickets in three matches but struggled to make early breakthroughs, an issue that has persisted since his return from surgery. The lack of penetration with the new ball has been a recurring concern, similar to what was seen during the T20 World Cup.Afridi did show some fight with the bat in the series decider in Dhaka, scoring 37 runs, but his effort was not enough as Pakistan fell short by 11 runs in the final ODI.He will next be seen in action leading Lahore Qalandars in the upcoming Pakistan Super League, which is set to get underway on March 26.
