Former Pakistan player Shahid Afridi has made bold claims to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after their dismal defeat at the hands of India in the T20
World Cup 2026.
India delivered a commanding performance against Pakistan in their Group A clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Batting first, India posted 175/7, powered by explosive batting on a tricky pitch. Pakistan's chase crumbled early, finishing at 114 in 18 overs. India secured a decisive 61-run victory, marking one of their most dominant wins over their rivals in recent encounters.
Although bowlers did decently, Pakistan's batters let themselves down big time. Chasing 176 runs, they lost three wickets in the first two overs. Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Agha both got dismissed while attempting a big shot, while a few overs later, Babar Azam threw his wicket away with a poor slog. The Pakistan chase never took off and they succumbed in the end.
And Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi has pointed out the repeated offences from their senior players, who have failed to make a mark against India in any of the occasions in the last three years.
Shahid Afridi demands to drop three Pakistan seniors
And while analysing, Shahid pointed out his own son-in-law, Shaheen Afridi, and called out to drop him. Apart from that, he also demanded dropping Babar Azam and Shadab Khan.
"If I were the decision maker, I would drop Shaheen, Babar and Shadab. I would give opportunities to new players and youngsters against Namibia and give them some confidence," Afridi said while speaking to a Pakistani TV channel.
"All these senior players are underperforming for years, and they have been letting us down for years now. Whenever we expect them to perform well, these seniors falter. And if they are not performing, let's play the juniors. There's no harm in it," he added.
Shahid Afridi said, "Drop Shaheen, drop Shadab, and drop Babar. They've always let us down in crucial big games. Try fresh faces against Namibia and give the new players a chance to build confidence".pic.twitter.com/6JPFIuKy0O
- Salman. (@TsMeSalman) February 15, 2026
Since winning the 2021 T20 World Cup, Pakistan have never won a match against India across all formats of the game. The latest defeat in Colombo was their 8th defeat at the hands of India in 9 T20 World Cup matches.
