After the crushing defeat against India in the T20 World Cup 2026, the anger of former Pakistan team captain Shahid Afridi has come out openly. He has given a big statement by strongly targeting the senior players of the team. He believes that new players should be given a chance in place of these senior players.
Afridi angry at Babar and Shadab including Shaheen
Speaking on a Pakistani news show, Afridi said, “If the decision was in his hands, he would have kept players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan out of the next matches. He said that it is important to give opportunities to young players. In the match against Namibia also, I will trust them, give them confidence and will play them continuously.”
He further said, “We have been watching these players for a long time. They keep getting opportunities. Every time we expect that these players will perform well against such a team. These are senior players, but if they are not performing for you then why not give a chance to the youngsters sitting on the bench? After all, what is the difference?”
Poor performance of senior players became the reason for the defeat
In the match played in Colombo, Pakistan captain Babar Azam once again failed to play a big innings against India. While chasing the target, he got out after scoring just 5 runs. At the same time, fast bowler Shaheen Afridi also could not make an impact in bowling and gave away 31 runs in just two overs.
The performance of all-rounder Shadab Khan was also nothing special. While bowling, he gave 17 runs in one over, while even while batting, he could not control the team and was out after playing a slow innings. This weak performance of senior players is being considered a major reason for Pakistan’s defeat.
India increased its dominance
Under the leadership of captain Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian team played brilliantly and defeated Pakistan by 61 runs. With this victory, India maintained its dominance over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup and confirmed its place in the Super-8.
