Author: News Desk

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has said that dropping Shaheen Shah Afridi from his playing XI was a deliberate move to trigger a strong response from the fast bowler.

Speaking during a private TV transmission, Shahid Afridi said Shaheen, who is also his son-in-law, was not part of his preferred playing XI [against England], but he knew how to get the best out of him. “Shaheen was not in my team, but I also knew how to use him,” Afridi said.

He explained that he wanted to make Shaheen angry to bring out his fighting spirit. “Everyone was already talking, so I thought let me say it a bit more strictly so it hurts his ego. That is exactly what happened,” Afridi said.

The former captain added that if he were asked about the next match, he would still not include Shaheen in his team. “Some players need to be handled this way. Sometimes you have to crush a few egos. I understand Shaheen’s mindset very well,” he said.

Afridi said people might accuse him of speaking up after Shaheen’s performance, but he had already predicted the reaction at home. 

“I even told my daughter. She said, ‘Baba, Shaheen is not in your team.’ I told her to watch the match. If he gets any opportunity, he will not tolerate this. I played with his mind,” Afridi said.

He further said that he has seen Shaheen fight back in difficult situations and knows how he responds to pressure.

Shaheen Afridi returned figures of four wickets for 30 runs against England on Tuesday. Despite his spectacular spell, Pakistan lost the match by two wickets.

Earlier in the tournament, Shaheen was dropped for matches against Namibia and New Zealand. Before being left out, he had taken only three wickets in three matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has addressed questions around Babar Azam’s batting approach following Pakistan’s two-wicket defeat to England in a Super Eight match of the Men’s T20 World Cup on Tuesday.

During the post-match press conference, a journalist asked Shaheen about the phase of the innings when Babar was building a partnership with Sahibzada Farhan and how things changed after his dismissal.

Responding to the question, Shaheen spoke about the general requirements of partnerships in T20 cricket.

“A partnership means you need someone at the crease who can hit boundaries and also rotate the strike with singles and doubles,” Shaheen said, while explaining the balance needed during a chase.

Babar scored 25 runs off 24 balls, hitting two fours. He walked in early during the powerplay after Pakistan lost two wickets for 27 runs in 3.3 overs but failed to accelerate before getting dismissed in the 11th over.

Shaheen, who returned figures of 4 for 30 in his four overs, also highlighted the overall demands of the format while crediting England’s bowling.

“In T20 cricket, you need to maintain around eight runs per over throughout the innings. But I think Adil [Rashid] bhai bowled very well,” he added.

The defeat, played out at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, left Pakistan’s campaign in a precarious position. 

England booked their place in the semi-finals, while Pakistan now needs other results to go their way and must win their final Super Eight match against Sri Lanka to remain in contention.

Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in their last Super Eight match on Saturday, February 28, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, who is nowadays being referred to as “Amir Baba” for his accurate predictions during the ongoing T20 World Cup, has said that skipper Salman Ali Agha may not continue as Pakistan’s T20I captain after the tournament.

Amir made the prediction following Pakistan’s disappointing loss against England in a crucial Super Eight match on Tuesday, virtually ending the country’s campaign at the World Cup. While the win secured England’s place in the semi-finals, Pakistan must now rely on other teams’ results and win their final Super Eight match against Sri Lanka for a chance at qualifying.

“I think Salman Ali Agha will no longer remain the T20 captain after this World Cup. In my opinion, no one else truly deserves it at the moment. As things stand, I don’t see a suitable replacement right now. I also believe that for many players, this T20 World Cup will be their last,” Amir said while speaking during a TV programme.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif also delivered a blunt assessment, claiming that Babar Azam is “no longer a player of this format”. He questioned the decision to recall the right-hander six months after dropping him due to concerns over his strike rate and pointed out that the team management had earlier stated Babar would return once his scoring rate improved.

“When did it improve? Why did you bring him back?” he asked.

Latif also criticised Pakistan’s batting approach, saying modern T20 cricket demanded players who could shift gears and control a chase, explaining that when a batter uses 20 to 25 deliveries without accelerating, pressure builds on the other end and forces incoming players into risky shots. 

He stressed that set batters must take responsibility and bat deep, especially when partners struggle to score freely.

Latif also compared Pakistan’s approach to opposition batters who keep the scoreboard moving under pressure. He said successful players can “play from both ends” and maintain control, while Pakistan’s batters often fail to accelerate at the right time.

Former opener Ahmed Shehzad also raised concerns over decision-making during the innings, pointing to missed opportunities for quick singles and doubles. 

He questioned why a player with more than a decade of international experience continued to struggle against quality leg-spin.

Referring to Tuesday’s match, Shehzad highlighted the moment Babar nearly lost his wicket to a googly from Adil Rashid. “Is this improvement?” he asked, adding that unless players accept their weaknesses and adapt to the demands of T20 cricket, including power-hitting and calculated risk-taking, progress will remain limited.

He also described the “lack of acceptance” as the reason behind Babar’s downfall.

Former Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq sparked heated debates on social media after joking about a second marriage during a recent morning show with his wife Ayesha Razzaq.

On the show, Ayesha explained that she handles most household responsibilities because Razzaq was often busy with cricket. “From the children’s school and parent meetings to groceries and other household tasks, I take care of everything and make sure everything is perfect,” she said.

In response, Razzaq humorously said something that did not sit well with some social media users. 

“I have told her many times that I could get married a second time. It would help share your workload. You are doing so much work.” he joked, adding, “When I tell my wife that I might contract a second marriage, the answer comes from my daughter. My daughter just looks at her father and that is enough. My son is a little innocent, but he will not tolerate it.”

Ayesha also joked about their children, saying, “I have two armies who speak even before I speak,” referring to their daughter and son. She added that their daughter is very close to her father and rarely refuses him anything.

The discussion then shifted to public perception of second marriages. Host Nida Yasir asked, “Why does the desire for a second marriage come up for him and others after Imad Wasim? If a prominent person from any field marries again, people react immediately.”

Razzaq responded, “Everyone has their own life and understands it best. They have to live it. No one can interfere in it. What is right and what is wrong, time will tell.”

His comments quickly went viral, with social media users sharing mixed reactions. Some criticised his joke, saying, “Sir, usko kaam wali kehtay hein, doosri biwi nahi [Sir, that is called a helper, not a second wife].” 

Others mocked men’s obsession with second marriages, writing, “Men and their obsession with second marriage, toba.” Some users questioned the logic, commenting, “Haath batany k liye nikrani rkwa do, doosri shadi kyun? Ajeeb logic [If you want someone to help, just hire a helper. Why a second marriage? Strange logic].” 

Others defended him, saying, “Bas itne farigh log hain ke banda aik baat hi kar de tau hath dho kar us ke peeche par jate hain, ab isey bakhsh do [There are so many idle people that if a man just says something, they immediately start criticizing him. Let it go].” 

Several also reflected on cultural sensitivity, asking, “Why in our culture are jokes about second marriage taken so seriously? Joke k liye sirf yahi topic reh gya hai.”

Abdul Razzaq is one of Pakistan’s most recognised all-rounders. He played 265 ODIs, 46 Tests, and 32 T20 Internationals, scoring over 5,000 ODI runs with 269 wickets, nearly 2,000 Test runs with 100 wickets, and was part of Pakistan’s 2009 ICC World Twenty20-winning squad.

Off the field, Razzaq is married to Ayesha Razzaq, and the couple have a son and a daughter.