TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has hit again at former Pakistan captain and batting legend Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi, who’ve claimed that the nation’s cricket is at the moment in its “darkest interval” and mentioned gamers like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi ought to not be thought of for the shortest format.“Criticism is one thing we will’t management. Each particular person has his personal opinion; they’re free to have it,” Shadab instructed reporters after Pakistan’s thumping 102-run win over Namibia on the Sinhalese Sports activities Membership Floor in Colombo.Shadab had a poor outing towards India, the place he managed solely 14 runs and gave away 17 runs in the one over he bowled.
“Time’s up for Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab. Pakistan’s T20 squad wants new performers, not empty wins towards weaker sides,” Mohammad Yousuf wrote on X on Sunday.Nonetheless, towards Namibia in a must-win sport for Pakistan, Shadab redeemed himself. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 36 off 22 balls and picked up three essential wickets.“I really feel that since I’ve made a comeback, I bowled one unhealthy over, and due to that there’s a lot criticism. I don’t attempt to justify it. I can’t management these items. It was a nasty day and a nasty over. It’s T20 cricket; you’ll be able to go for runs and take wickets as nicely. I don’t ponder an excessive amount of concerning the criticism,” he mentioned.Yousuf, who served as the boys’s staff batting coach for a interval of three months between March and June 2025 earlier than resigning from the position, was scathing in his remarks.“Except we take away political affect and private agendas from Pakistan cricket, we can’t return to the staff we as soon as have been. That is the darkest interval in our cricketing historical past, and my coronary heart bleeds for it. Incompetent people have to be faraway from workplace and from the staff,” Yousuf wrote on social media platform X on Monday.Yousuf was not alone. Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi has referred to as for senior gamers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Shadab Khan to be dropped from Pakistan’s remaining group-stage sport towards Namibia.“If it have been as much as me to decide, I might drop Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab. I might bench all of them,” Shahid Afridi mentioned on a panel present for Samaa TV.“They’re all senior gamers who, for my part, have a accountability to carry out. You lose matches. However no person loses like this. No person loses in such a one-sided method. My level is, that is the Pakistan staff; it’s important to struggle. Now we have additionally performed cricket; we’ve misplaced many occasions, however I don’t recall us ever enjoying or shedding on this particular method. Now we have misplaced, however we fought,” Afridi added.Shadab took a swipe on the legends with out taking any names and cited the 2021 T20 World Cup instance, when Babar Azam-led Pakistan thrashed India by ten wickets in Dubai. It stays the one time Pakistan have defeated India in World Cups.“Our ex-cricketers have their very own opinions. They’ve achieved nicely for Pakistan, and on the finish of the day, they’ve additionally by no means defeated India within the World Cup. We have been those who defeated India within the 2021 World Cup. In World Cups, we’ve crushed India solely as soon as. Sure, they’re legends, however they’ve by no means achieved something exceptional towards India within the World Cup,” he mentioned.Shadab additionally credited India batter Ishan Kishan, who scored a wide ranging 77 off 40 balls on Sunday in Colombo.“In a high-pressure match, it’s all about the way you get the beginning. India began nicely. They’ve a participant, Ishan Kishan, who was in good kind, and he performed a wonderful innings,” he mentioned.“We’re speaking an excessive amount of about one match. Sure, the apparent purpose was to win that match towards India as nicely. On the finish of the day, our essential purpose is to win the World Cup. We’re trusting our course of, and we’ll get the outcomes,” he added.Pakistan will begin their Tremendous Eight marketing campaign towards New Zealand on the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 21. The Salman Ali Agha-led staff will then play their remaining two fixtures towards England on February 24 and Sri Lanka on February 28 on the Pallekele Worldwide Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
