'We've beaten India once, unlike our ex-cricketers': Shadab hits back at Afridi

TimesofIndia.com successful Colombo: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has deed backmost astatine erstwhile Pakistan skipper and batting fable Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi, who person claimed that the country’s cricket is presently successful its “darkest period” and said players similar Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi should nary longer beryllium considered for the shortest format.“Criticism is thing we can’t control. Every idiosyncratic has his ain opinion; they are escaped to person it,” Shadab told reporters aft Pakistan’s thumping 102-run triumph implicit Namibia astatine the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground successful Colombo.Shadab had a mediocre outing against India, wherever helium managed lone 14 runs and gave distant 17 runs successful the lone implicit helium bowled.

“Time’s up for Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab. Pakistan’s T20 squad needs caller performers, not bare wins against weaker sides,” Mohammad Yousuf wrote connected X connected Sunday.However, against Namibia successful a must-win crippled for Pakistan, Shadab redeemed himself. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 36 disconnected 22 balls and picked up 3 important wickets.“I consciousness that since I person made a comeback, I bowled 1 atrocious over, and due to the fact that of that determination is truthful overmuch criticism. I don’t effort to warrant it. I can’t power these things. It was a atrocious time and a atrocious over. It’s T20 cricket; you tin spell for runs and instrumentality wickets arsenic well.

I don’t ponder excessively overmuch astir the criticism,” helium said.Yousuf, who served arsenic the men’s squad batting manager for a play of 3 months betwixt March and June 2025 earlier resigning from the role, was scathing successful his remarks.“Unless we region governmental power and idiosyncratic agendas from Pakistan cricket, we cannot instrumentality to the squad we erstwhile were. This is the darkest play successful our cricketing history, and my bosom bleeds for it.

Incompetent individuals indispensable beryllium removed from bureau and from the team,” Yousuf wrote connected societal media level X connected Monday.Yousuf was not alone. Pakistan cricket fable Shahid Afridi has called for elder players similar Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Shadab Khan to beryllium dropped from Pakistan’s last group-stage crippled against Namibia.“If it were up to maine to marque a decision, I would driblet Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab. I would seat them all,” Shahid Afridi said connected a sheet amusement for Samaa TV.“They are each elder players who, successful my opinion, person a work to perform. You suffer matches. But cipher loses similar this. Nobody loses successful specified a one-sided manner. My constituent is, this is the Pakistan team; you person to fight. We person besides played cricket; we person mislaid galore times, but I don’t callback america ever playing oregon losing successful this circumstantial way. We person lost, but we fought,” Afridi added.Shadab took a swipe astatine the legends without taking immoderate names and cited the 2021 T20 World Cup example, erstwhile Babar Azam-led Pakistan thrashed India by 10 wickets successful Dubai.

It remains the lone clip Pakistan person defeated India successful World Cups.“Our ex-cricketers person their ain opinions. They person done good for Pakistan, and astatine the extremity of the day, they person besides ne'er defeated India successful the World Cup. We were the ones who defeated India successful the 2021 World Cup. In World Cups, we person beaten India lone once. Yes, they are legends, but they person ne'er done thing singular against India successful the World Cup,” helium said.Shadab besides credited India batter Ishan Kishan, who scored a breathtaking 77 disconnected 40 balls connected Sunday successful Colombo.“In a high-pressure match, it is each astir however you get the start. India started well. They person a player, Ishan Kishan, who was successful bully form, and helium played an fantabulous innings,” helium said.“We are talking excessively overmuch astir 1 match. Yes, the evident extremity was to triumph that lucifer against India arsenic well. At the extremity of the day, our main purpose is to triumph the World Cup.

We are trusting our process, and we volition get the results,” helium added.Pakistan volition commencement their Super Eight run against New Zealand astatine the R Premadasa Stadium successful Colombo connected February 21. The Salman Ali Agha-led squad volition past play their remaining 2 fixtures against England connected February 24 and Sri Lanka connected February 28 astatine the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium successful Kandy.