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Cricket Players'Looks like everyone wants to bat like me': Shahid Afridi tears into Pakistan stars after relentless flop shows
Shahid Afridi didn't mince his words as he spoke about Pakistan cricket's struggles in the recent months.
Shahid Afridi has never been one to hold back his opinions, and the former Pakistan captain has once again taken aim at the national team’s management, expressing frustration over selection policies and player handling.
Addressing a media event on Wednesday, Afridi pointed to a worrying trend in Pakistan’s batting approach, where players seem to be prioritizing aggression over stability.
"It looks like everyone wants to bat like Shahid Afridi, but you can’t score 200 in every match,” Afridi remarked, suggesting that Pakistan’s batting strategy needs a serious rethink.
While Afridi was known for his explosive stroke play, he emphasized that a team needs a balanced approach rather than blind aggression.
His critique didn’t stop there. He took particular issue with the team’s selection choices for the recent tour of New Zealand, where he felt Pakistan’s selectors failed to read the conditions correctly. The side is trailing the five-match T20I series 0-2.
“They sent first-class players with just 10-11 matches of experience. Where spinners were needed, they picked pacers, and where pacers were needed, they picked extra spinners,” he pointed out.
The former all-rounder also called out the management for mishandling key players, citing the prolonged benching of Mohammad Hasnain and Usman Khan.
“These players have been warming the bench for a long time, yet they are not being given chances. What’s the point of keeping them in the squad if they aren’t going to play?” he questioned, arguing that wasted talent and poor squad rotation were major concerns for Pakistan cricket.
Dig at coaching staff?
Afridi also raised doubts over the impact of the coaching staff.
“At the Pakistan team level, players shouldn’t need to be taught how to play off-spin. These are basic skills that should already be mastered,” he said, questioning whether the right guidance was being provided to players at the highest level.
The instability in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also drew Afridi’s ire. He criticized the constant changes in leadership and inconsistent decision-making, particularly regarding captaincy.
“The board needs a permanent chairman. Babar Azam was given ample opportunities as captain, but why was Mohammad Rizwan only given six months in the role?” he asked, underlining the lack of a clear direction.
