Shahid Afridi hits back at Shadab Khan's ‘India World Cup’ comment following criticism row: ‘Beta perform karo’

Shahid Afridi hit back at Shadab Khan, asking the all-rounder to perform on the field against the bigger teams.

Updated on: Feb 20, 2026, 14:43:17 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, hit out at Shadab Khan after the latter's comment, saying the former Pakistan cricketers had never been able to get the better of India in World Cups, but his side did so in 2021. After the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match win against Namibia in Colombo, the 27-year-old Shadab was asked about the criticism coming his way from former players such as Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf, and it was then that Shadab reminded how he was a part of the team that defeated India in the 2021 World Cup in Dubai.

Shahid Afridi hit back at Shadab Khan following the criticism row. (AFP)

After Pakistan's defeat against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup on February 15, Afridi and Yousuf said that Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab should be dropped and that youngsters should be given a chance. However, the Salman Ali Agha-led stepped up in the next game against Namibia, winning by 102 runs to seal a berth in the Super 8s.

Also Read: PCB miffed with Shadab Khan's attack on former Pakistan players, issues warning against using such ‘language’: Report

In the match against Namibia, Shadab first hit an unbeaten 35 and then took 3 wickets, delivering a perfect all-round performance. However, Shadab's comments at the post-match press conference have not gone down well in Pakistan, and several former players are criticising him for them.

Afridi said that Shadab and the rest of the Pakistan team might have been able to beat India in the 2021 T20 World Cup, but they were not able to handle the aftermath of the achievement.

“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,” Afridi said on Samaa.TV.

“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,” he added.

‘Perform for the team’

Afridi also said that the former cricketers would stop talking about him on national television if he performs on the field against the bigger teams. He urged the all-rounder to show his skills on the field in the upcoming Super 8s games against New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka.

“So Shadab beta, aap bhi performance kariye. Beta performances karo. (Please perform). 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,” said Afridi.

Earlier, according to a report in Telecom Asia Sport, Shadab's comments about the former players didn't sit well with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the all-rounder was warned for his antics.

The other players were also told to just speak about the T20 World Cup and the team's performance in the games.

Speaking of Pakistan, Agha's team will play the first Super 8s match on Saturday against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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