Shahid Afridi tore into Pakistan’s senior core on Sunday in Colombo after Pakistan suffered another heavy loss to India, urging selectors to drop established names and trust youth for the rest of the T20 World Cup. Speaking after the defeat at the R Premadasa Stadium, Afridi made his position brutally clear.
Pakistan’s collapse only sharpened the criticism. Afridi argued that the team cannot keep leaning on reputation when returns keep falling short.
“So if I have to take a decision here, I would even sit Shaheen out, sit Babar out, and sit Shadab out as well,” Afridi said. “I would play the new boys, give the youngsters a chance.”
The former captain pushed the point further by naming the next step. “In our match against Namibia, I would back them, give them confidence, and keep playing them,” he said, demanding continuity rather than panic.
Afridi’s frustration centred on opportunity without payoff. “We’ve been watching these players for so long, they keep getting opportunities,” he said, cutting through sentiment and status.
He questioned the logic of loyalty in failure. “These are senior players. If they’re not delivering for you, then why not play the juniors sitting on the bench? What’s the big difference anyway?” Afridi asked, a line that summed up his argument.
The spotlight fell hardest on Babar Azam, whose struggles against India continued, and on Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan, expected leaders who failed to swing the contest.
