TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has hit back at former Pakistan captain and batting legend Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi, who have claimed that the country’s cricket is currently in its “darkest period” and said players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi should no longer be considered for the shortest format.“Criticism is something we can’t control. Every individual has his own opinion; they are free to have it,” Shadab told reporters after Pakistan’s thumping 102-run win over Namibia at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.Shadab had a poor outing against India, where he managed only 14 runs and gave away 17 runs in the only over he bowled.
“Time’s up for Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab. Pakistan’s T20 squad needs new performers, not empty wins against weaker sides,” Mohammad Yousuf wrote on X on Sunday.
However, against Namibia in a must-win game for Pakistan, Shadab redeemed himself. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 36 off 22 balls and picked up three crucial wickets.“I feel that since I have made a comeback, I bowled one bad over, and because of that there is so much criticism. I don’t try to justify it. I can’t control these things. It was a bad day and a bad over. It’s T20 cricket; you can go for runs and take wickets as well. I don’t ponder too much about the criticism,” he said.Yousuf, who served as the men’s team batting coach for a period of three months between March and June 2025 before resigning from the role, was scathing in his remarks.“Unless we remove political influence and personal agendas from Pakistan cricket, we cannot return to the team we once were. This is the darkest period in our cricketing history, and my heart bleeds for it. Incompetent individuals must be removed from office and from the team,” Yousuf wrote on social media platform X on Monday.Yousuf was not alone. Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi has called for senior players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Shadab Khan to be dropped from Pakistan’s final group-stage game against Namibia.“If it were up to me to make a decision, I would drop Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab. I would bench them all,” Shahid Afridi said on a panel show for Samaa TV.“They are all senior players who, in my opinion, have a responsibility to perform. You lose matches. But nobody loses like this. Nobody loses in such a one-sided manner. My point is, this is the Pakistan team; you have to fight. We have also played cricket; we have lost many times, but I don’t recall us ever playing or losing in this specific way. We have lost, but we fought,” Afridi added.Shadab took a swipe at the legends without taking any names and cited the 2021 T20 World Cup example, when Babar Azam-led Pakistan thrashed India by ten wickets in Dubai. It remains the only time Pakistan have defeated India in World Cups.“Our ex-cricketers have their own opinions. They have done well for Pakistan, and at the end of the day, they have also never defeated India in the World Cup. We were the ones who defeated India in the 2021 World Cup. In World Cups, we have beaten India only once. Yes, they are legends, but they have never done anything remarkable against India in the World Cup,” he said.Shadab also credited India batter Ishan Kishan, who scored a breathtaking 77 off 40 balls on Sunday in Colombo.“In a high-pressure match, it is all about how you get the start. India started well. They have a player, Ishan Kishan, who was in good form, and he played an excellent innings,” he said.“We are talking too much about one match. Yes, the obvious goal was to win that match against India as well. At the end of the day, our main aim is to win the World Cup. We are trusting our process, and we will get the results,” he added.Pakistan will start their Super Eight campaign against New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 21. The Salman Ali Agha-led team will then play their remaining two fixtures against England on February 24 and Sri Lanka on February 28 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
