Shahid Afridi Wants Son-In-Law Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam To be Sacked From Pakistan Team After India Thrashing. Watch

Pakistan's cricketing icon Shahid Afridi didn't mince his words as he witnessed Salman Agha's men produce another disappointing show against India. Suryakumar Yadav's men didn't break a sweat as they handed Pakistan a cricketing lesson in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash on Sunday, securing a thumping 61-run victory at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. With Pakistan needing a win or a no-result against Namibia to qualify for the Super 8s, Afridi wants the management to drop the likes of Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Speaking on Samaa TV, Afridi said that the senior players like Babar, Shadab, and Shaheen have had many opportunities to perform over the years, but all they have given is disappointment. Hence, it's time for Pakistan to promote youngsters and give them a chance against Namibia.

"Drop Shaheen, drop Shadab, and drop Babar. Try fresh faces against Namibia and give the new players a chance to build confidence. They've been playing for a long time. Whenever we expect them to perform, they don't. If these senior players aren't giving us the performances we desire, then play the juniors who are sitting on the bench. What is the difference?", Afridi said during a Live show. Shaheen is married to Afridi's daighter Ansha.

Shahid Afridi suggests dropping Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab, saying their seniority isn't yielding results. He recommends giving opportunities to juniors, especially against Namibia, to see what they can do.#PAKvIND #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/kB3iGzoax7

— TEAM AFRIDI (@TEAM_AFRIDI) February 15, 2026

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted that his spinners had a 'off day' as India went on to post a challenging total of 174 runs on a wicket that aided spin bowlers a lot. 

"We were believing in our spinners, and they had an off day today. Execution was missing in some parts of the game. We were obviously going to always believe our spinners, because they've done really well in last six month. And with the batting I think we didn't start well and in T20 games if we lose 3 or 4 wickets in powerplay, you are always chasing the game," he said in the post-match presentation ceremony. 

Salman also threw his batters under the bus for failing to apply themselves against India. 

"I think, to be very honest, like in first inning it was a bit tacky. The ball was gripping as well. So, the execution was, I think, missing when it comes to bowling, but I think the pitch better played better in the second inning than first inning. But our bowlers like, we didn't bowl according to the situation. And when it comes to batting, we didn't apply ourselves and gave us a chance to go deep in the game," he said. 

Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Team India Cricket Team Shahid Afridi Babar Azam Shadab Khan Shaheen Afridi T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket