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Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has urged bold decisions, stating that he would drop Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Babar Azam for the next fixture against Namibia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Speaking on Samma TV, Afridi said he would have dropped the trio of Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, and Shadab Khan due to their recent performances.
“If I had to make a decision, I wouuld drop Shaheen from the side. Shadab and Babar would also be benched,” he said.
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“I would give new players a chance in the upcoming game against Namibia and boost their confidence,” he added.
Shahid Afridi backed the younger players to deliver, questioning the role of senior players if they fail to perform in crucial matches.
“We have been watching them for so long. In important matches, we expect them to step up. But if seniors aren’t performing, why shouldn’t we try youngsters? What is the difference then?” he questioned.
Why did Shahid Afridi demand the trio’s exclusion?
India defeated Pakistan by a hefty margin of 61 runs in their group fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan were completely outplayed by their bitter rivals in every department.
The Men in Blue racked up 175-6 on the board in their 20 overs, thanks to Ishan Kishan’s 77 from 40 balls.
In reply, Pakistan were bowled out cheaply for a mere total of 114 in 18 overs.
Among the underperformers was Shadab Khan, who bowled only one over and gave 17 runs. Shaheen Afridi bowled two overs and conceded 31 runs.
He was off-colour in the very first over he bowled, where Ishan Kishan accumulated 16.
Meanwhile, Babar Azam’s struggles continued as he only managed five from seven before getting clean bowled by Axar Patel in a bizarre manner.
READ: All ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squads in detail with key players to watch
