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Cricket PlayersShouldn’t have demeaned father-in-law Saqlain Mushtaq: Shadab Khan mocked as 'Hesson's ladla' over 'legends' jibe
Shadab Khan's comments came after Pakistan beat Namibia in Colombo on Wednesday to qualify for the Super 8 stage.
All-rounder Shadab Khan’s fiery response to criticism following Pakistan’s loss to India last Sunday in the T20 World Cup has sparked controversy, with former cricketers questioning the logic behind his jibe at past legends. His comments came after Pakistan beat Namibia in Colombo on Wednesday to qualify for the Super 8 stage.
Following the 61-run defeat to India at the R Premadasa Stadium in their Group A clash, former greats such as Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi raised concerns about the team’s performance and the selection of several senior players, including Shadab.
After scoring a brisk 36 and claiming three wickets against Namibia, Shadab hit back at his critics, reminding them that the current Pakistan side remains the only one to have beaten India in 16 World Cup meetings, a 10-wicket win in Dubai in 2021.
“For criticism, you can’t control it. Everyone has their own opinions. Since I came back, there was just one over where things didn’t go well, and because of that, I faced a lot of criticism. But I don’t need to justify that. I focus on what I can control. A bad day or a bad over can happen. It’s T20 cricket — you can concede runs or take wickets,” he said.
“Our former cricketers have their own opinions, and they have done great things for Pakistan. But at the end of the day, even in the World Cup, we as a team have achieved results, like defeating India in 2021. So criticism is part of cricket.”
However, the remarks did not go down well with several experts. Former cricketer Basit Ali reminded Shadab that one of those critics was his father-in-law, Saqlain Mushtaq, before questioning his credentials.
“He shouldn’t have replied to his father-in-law like that. The kind of match-winner Saqlain was, he would have had 10 Shadabs in his pocket. Players in the 90s were not selected based on recommendations; they made the team purely on performance. Some journalists should ask him about his own performance. Is he a bowling all-rounder or a batting all-rounder?” he asked on ARY News.
Basit then alleged that Shadab’s position in the side was due to his proximity to head coach Mike Hesson.
“Against weaker teams, he is promoted to bat in the top order. Why? Because he is Mike Hesson’s ladla (favourite). Had it been Inzamam, Waqar or Saqlain in charge, I would have seen where he would bat. I remember taking the A team to England. The whole time, he was busy on his mobile phone. I ended up snatching both his phones.”
Veteran fast bowler Mohammad Amir also responded, pointing to the changing dynamics of the India-Pakistan rivalry.
“Yes, in 2021, Pakistan beat India. But there is a difference between India-Pakistan matches in the 90s and now. Earlier, the Indian team feared us because they knew we could beat them. Now they don’t take us seriously. They don’t even celebrate wickets or victories,” he said on the Pakistani show Game on hai.
Senior batter Ahmed Shehzad, part of the same panel, added that earlier there was only the 50-over World Cup, held every four years. With the introduction of the T20 World Cup, global tournaments now occur more frequently, meaning the current generation has faced India more often in ICC events.
“The people he is talking about used to play the World Cup once in four years. Back then, there was no T20 World Cup. Now it happens every two years. So this group of players has played more ICC matches against India than the ones he is referring to. And when the same group keeps losing, questions are bound to be raised.”
