Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has lambasted spinner Shadab Khan, stating that, let alone captaincy, the player is not even good enough to make it to the starting line-up of the Pakistan team. Afridi’s comments come amid rumours that Pakistan are set to sack Salman Agha from the position of skipper in the aftermath of their disastrous performance in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan had a torrid time in the global tournament, playing a brand of cricket that appeared outdated. They lost to India and then to England, which resulted in their elimination from the competition. Apart from their final match of the tournament against co-hosts Sri Lanka, Pakistan failed to bat with a positive tempo. Reacting to the rumours of Shadab potentially taking over as captain of the side, Afridi said that the leg-spinner was not good enough to even make the team.
“Looking at his performance, I wouldn’t even keep him in the team, let alone give him the captaincy,” the former all-rounder said on Samaa TV.
Shadab’s performance on spin-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka has come under scrutiny. He scored 118 runs and picked up five wickets in seven matches. Against India, Shadab bowled poorly to Ishan Kishan, resulting in the Men in Green being heavily punished by their arch-rivals.
“The head coach is giving Shadab chance after chance. That’s why I said Shadab can become the next Pakistan captain. But looking at his recent performances, he doesn’t even deserve a place in the playing XI,” Afridi said.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to impose a massive financial penalty on the national team following their disappointing exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup. According to a report by The Express Tribune, each member of the squad is set to be fined PKR 5 million (approximately Rs 16 lakh) for failing to meet performance expectations.
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