Former Pakistan star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has criticized the performances of the Pakistan cricket team at the ongoing T20 World Cup. The poor showings by the men in green have resulted in their exit from the tournament. This marks the first time in 10 years that Pakistan has been knocked out in the group stage. And understandably, the outcome has surprised many. Afridi has proposed several measures and urged for potential changes within the camp as soon as possible.
Don’t think of replacing Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan!
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Former said, “We have been hearing a lot these days that eight to nine players will be removed from the team, but it doesn’t work like that. You remove eight to nine players when you have that many boys waiting for their chance. If you are talking about removing Babar Azam as a player, then do you have someone like him? Do we have a player capable of replacing Mohammad Rizwan? These types of talks happen when you have a strong bench.
Get the players from the domestic circuit
Apart from defending Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s potential, Shahid Afridi took the PCB to task on the podium, emphasizing the need to respect the performances of domestic players. There are many players who are already performing well and deserve a chance more than anyone else. Afridi said. “You need to give respect to your domestic players, they play all year and deliver great performances. Players like Salman Agha, Saud Shakeel, Sahibzada Farhan, pacer Mohammad Ali, and many others participate in domestic cricket throughout the year. If we ignore their performances and select players based on the performance of just three matches, then we are being unjust,”
Go and play domestic cricket!
Afridi also stressed the importance of consistent domestic cricket and fitness to survive on the international stage. Especially focusing on Azam Khan and Saim Ayub, who have faced criticism for their fitness in the past. They should have been advised to focus on domestic cricket for a few more years.
“The players from this team, whether Azam Khan or Saim Ayub, should be encouraged to play domestic cricket for two consecutive years and maintain their fitness. The selection committee should ensure that players aiming to represent Pakistan meet specific criteria. Afridi said.
