Shahid Afridi has slammed his son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi after the poor performance showing in the 2026 T20 World Cup for Pakistan. Speaking on live television, Afridi questioned Shaheen’s bowling decisions in crucial moments. His remarks came after Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals following defeats to India and England. The comments have sparked debate among fans and experts.

Afridi stats, “when a right-hander is playing, you don't bowl round the wicket.” He added that if bowling round the wicket, the bowler must aim “inside the wickets.” He also pointed out that when “third man and point are up,” bowling outside off-stump is wrong. According to him, these are “very easy angles to get a lob on the Asian pitches.”

He further expressed frustration over repeated mistakes. Afridi said, “When will they understand these things? They don't learn, they don't want to learn, they don't want to run as players.” He highlighted how “eight players get out within twenty-eight runs,” showing a lack of responsibility. He believes the team is “very far behind” in its thinking and stuck in “old times, old eras.”

Shaheen’s Mixed World Cup Campaign

Shaheen Shah Afridi had a mixed tournament overall. He finished with 8 wickets in five matches and became Pakistan’s all-time leading T20I wicket-taker with 136 wickets, going past Haris Rauf. However, his economy rate of 10.53 raised concerns. His best performance came against England in the Super Eight stage, where he took 4/30 and removed Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell early.

Watch the video here

🚨🚨Shahid Khan Afridi and SAQLAIN Mushtaq , Two different Stories ❗

- on one hand Saqlain M is trying his best to defend his son in law

- and on another hand Shahid Afridi is Criticising Shaheen after every Bad performance pic.twitter.com/QX8BPIHWaq

— SheR•ALI (@Sher__Ali) March 1, 2026

See Also: 'Pressure? What pressure?' - Fans react as Sanju Samson stars in India’s big win over West Indies to seal T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final spot

In the final Super Eight match against Sri Lanka at Pallekele, Shaheen had a tough spell, finishing with 1/48 in four overs. Though he dismissed Pavan Rathnayake (58), he was hit for three consecutive sixes by Dasun Shanaka in the last over. Still, he defended 28 runs with a wide yorker on the final ball to seal a 5-run win. Abrar Ahmed also impressed with 3/23.

Pakistan posted 212/8 in that game, powered by a 176-run opening stand between Fakhar Zaman (84) and Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 100 off 60 balls. Farhan became the first player to hit two centuries in a single T20 World Cup and finished with 383 runs in the tournament. Despite the win, Pakistan were eliminated due to Net Run Rate, as they needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or fewer. They ended level on points with New Zealand but missed out on a semi-final spot.

Shaheen Shah Afridi endured a relatively ordinary campaign during the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, struggling to make an impact with the new ball—an area widely regarded as his strength. His inability to strike early invited considerable criticism. However, the left-arm pacer found his rhythm upon entering the Super 8 stage. In the 45th match of the tournament against England in Pallekele, Shaheen rediscovered his brilliance and emerged as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in the contest. Despite his impressive spell, Pakistan suffered a narrow two-wicket defeat. Nevertheless, Shaheen’s performance drew widespread appreciation, including praise from former Indian bowler Irfan Pathan.

Irfan Pathan explained what a bowler does when trying to find his rhythm, and Shaheen Shah Afridi did just that. Irfan mentioned that Shaheen usually bowls full and brings it back to right-handed Batters, but he didn't do that today. Shaheen bowled hard lengths and let the pitch do its work, which is what led to his success. Pakistan's strike pacer took four wickets for 30 runs in his four-over spell.

See Also: Watch: Shaheen Afridi dismissed in-form England opener Phil Salt for a Golden duck in ENG Vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match

"Shaheen Afridi didn’t try to bowl it full and bring it back into the right-handers today. Instead, he focused on hitting the deck hard and getting purchase from the pitch,"  Irfan Pathan wrote on social media platform X.

"When you’re looking to find rhythm, the best approach is often simple, run in hard and hit the surface with full effort. That’s exactly what he did, and he was rewarded for it," he added.

Shaheen Afridi didn’t try to bowl it full and bring it back into the right-handers today. Instead, he focused on hitting the deck hard and getting purchase from the pitch.

When you’re looking to find rhythm, the best approach is often simple,run in hard and hit the surface with…

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 24, 2026

Shaheen Shah Afridi claims four wickets in crucial Super 8 clash against England

Batting first, Pakistan scored 164/9 and set England a target of 165 to win. Chasing the target, England were dealt a major blow by Shaheen Shah Afridi on the very first ball of the innings, dismissing Phil Salt. Shaheen then dismissed veteran Jos Buttler in his next over, who managed to score just 2 runs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi again struck in the third over of his spell, dismissing Jacob Bethell (8), who was caught by Sahibzada Farhan. He later returned to bowl the 17th over of the innings and endured a challenging start, conceding 17 runs off the five deliveries. However, he responded by claiming the prized wicket of England captain Harry Brook on the last ball of the over. Before getting out, Brook hit a six and a four in this over to reach his maiden T20I century. Despite Afridi’s impressive four-wicket haul, Pakistan were unable to defend the target and eventually went down in the final over.

Star Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi gave Pakistan a dream start in the Super 8 match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against England. He struck with the very first ball of his opening over, dismissing England opener Phil Salt for a duck at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Afridi made an immediate impact by taking Salt’s wicket with the first delivery of his spell. He bowled a hard-length ball around the off stump that moved slightly away from the right-handed batter.

Salt tried to drive the ball through the offside but played it away from his body. The ball took a thick outside edge and flew to the wicketkeeper. Usman Khan reacted quickly, diving to his right to complete a sharp catch. England lost an early wicket, as Salt was out for a golden duck.

Watch the Salt's dismissal video here:

WHAT A START FOR PAKISTAN! 🇵🇰

Shaheen Shah Afridi strikes with the first ball of the innings 😱 pic.twitter.com/lPEPyyezqT

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 24, 2026

Usman Tariq Drops Easy Catch in Crucial Super 8 Clash

The Pakistan team once again missed a simple chance in an important match. Spinner Usman Tariq dropped an easy catch during the Super 8 match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against the England cricket team at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Jacob Bethell got a lucky escape after the dropped catch. Usman Tariq was fielding at short fine leg when Bethell tried to hit Saim Ayub for a big shot. The ball took an edge and went high in the air near Usman. Wicketkeeper Usman Khan also ran toward the ball. However, Usman Tariq called for it, and Usman Khan stopped. Tariq failed to hold on, and the catch was dropped.

Usman Tariq drops a simple catch. How costly is that going to be...#T20WorldCup #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/rQR4PB3WkF

— Ramzy 🇵🇰🇬🇧 (@Ramz_004) February 24, 2026

Pakistan posted 164 runs after batting first

Earlier, Pakistan scored 164/9 after being asked to bat first. It was their highest first-innings total against England in T20 World Cup history.

Sahibzada Farhan played a strong innings. He scored 63 runs from 45 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. It was his second half-century of the tournament. He got support from Babar Azam (25) and Fakhar Zaman (25). They built useful partnerships and kept the innings steady.

In the final overs, Shadab Khan added quick runs. He scored 23 off 11 balls and helped Pakistan cross the 160-run mark.

With runs on the board, Shaheen Shah Afridi gave Pakistan a strong start with the ball. His early wicket put pressure on England in this must-win match.

The Super 8 clash between England and Pakistan from the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy seemed to be a contest of who could come up with a worse fielding performance in the outfield. England tried their best in the competition, but Pakistan were equally fighting for the worse fielding performances. 

The most funny fielding lapse of the contest came from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who standing at the short fine region. On the last delivery of the ninth over against Shadab Khan, Sam Curran perhaps thought of not getting a single when he went back and pulled the short ball down the ground off the thick inside half of the bat.

See Also: India vs Zimbabwe T20 WC: How Result Could Impact Playoff

There was shout of ‘catch it’ from the boundary, to which Afridi decided to save the boundary and ended up making an absolute meal of it at the last moment. He tried to grab the ball on the bounce and it slipped through the fingertips. The ball went over the tall pacer, who couldn’t do anything about it.

Shaheen Afridi’ funny fielding goes viral in ENG vs PAK T20 WC 2026

England were equally bad in their ground fielding, as one of the culprits was Jacob Bethell, who twice misfielded, one of which went for a boundary because he overran the ball and couldn’t slow down and cut his momentum at the end.

Watch the video here: 

@StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/JvlFAnKw0C

— Cricket Everywhere✍🏻 (@Subhamk79241601) February 24, 2026

Pakistan, opting to bat first in Kandy, posted a strong score of 164 runs for the lose of nine wickets as their opener, Sahibzada Farhan, claimed 63 runs in 45 balls with the help of seven boundaries and a couple of sixes at a strike rate of 140. Most of their batters got the starts, but couldn’t convert.

England had a nightmarish start losing Phil Salt on the very first ball of chase before getting restricted to 35/3 in the fifth over. Their captain, Harry Brook, stood like wall for his 82 runs in 44 balls with the help of eight boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of above 185.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 164/9 (Sahibzada Farhan 63, Liam Dawson 3/24, Jamie Overton 2/31) vs England 138/5 (Harry Brook 90, Shaheen Afridi 3/13).  

Pakistan are facing England in the crucial Super Eights Group 2 fixture of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday (February 24) night at Pallekele, which is almost a must-win fixture for the Men in Green. When Pakistan is playing a big match in the tournament, there is always a question about whether the left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is playing the match or not. 

As the Pakistan vs New Zealand match was washed out in rain with no result, which was the first game of the Super Eights of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Pakistan will be in a strong position with a win against England. Meanwhile, a defeat against England will put Pakistan in a very challenging position. 

Shaheen Shah Afridi replaced Faheem Ashraf

While Pallekele is hosting the Pakistan vs England match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first. At toss, Pakistan skipper also confirmed that there was one change in the squad. Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has returned to the playing XI as the replacement for Faheem Ashraf.

Shaheen Shah Afridi hardly effective with ball in T20 World Cup 2026

The 25-year-old Shaheen Shah Afridi has picked up three wickets in three games of the tournament. However, the left-arm fast bowler has proved very costly with the ball in hand. He missed the last group stage game against Namibia and was also on the bench during their first Super Eights fixture against New Zealand, which was washed out in the rain.

With the bat in hand, Shaheen has been unbeaten in the tournament with 5 not out, 9 not out, and 23 not out, respectively. 

Shaheen is currently under pressure, and the left-arm fast bowler has to prove himself in this crucial fixture against England. 

The second Super Eight match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played on Tuesday. It is an exciting contest between former champions Pakistan and England. Both teams are considered strong contenders for the title.

Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat against India in the group stage but still have a strong and competitive squad capable of challenging any team.

There are reports that star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has struggled with rhythm and accuracy during the tournament. Pakistan may consider including Naseem Shah or Salman Mirza to strengthen the new-ball attack and improve control in the death overs.

According to the latest report from Al Jazeera, the left-arm pacer is expected to return to the starting XI. Pakistan needs a win to stay in semifinal contention and improve its chances of qualifying for the next stage of the tournament.

Also read -Watch: Hardik Pandya kisses Mahieka Sharma after landing in Chennai ahead of IND vs ZIM Super 8 clash

Shaheen Shah Afridi Under Spotlight

Shaheen Shah Afridi was left out of the final group match against Namibia and the Super Eight opener against New Zealand, which surprised many fans. The star bowler was expensive during the group stage, and the team used more spin bowling. The left-arm pacer has not been in good form in the tournament, taking only three wickets in three matches and giving away many runs.

After several low scores, Babar Azam has faced criticism for his slow scoring and less attacking batting style. The team management may think about replacing him with Fakhar Zaman or Khawaja Nafay to add more power hitting and improve scoring speed in the middle overs.

Pakistan may also bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seam bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

🚨 SHAHEEN IN SUPER 8 🚨

- Shaheen Shah Afridi is highly likely to be included in the playing XI against England in tomorrow's match. [Shahid Hashmi] pic.twitter.com/cyVM0ClpMb

— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) February 23, 2026

Pakistan Warns England Ahead of Super 8 Clash

Pakistan warned England’s batting lineup to expect tough spin bowling when the teams meet in the Super 8 match. Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan said England struggled against spin in their last game against Sri Lanka.

England were bowled out for 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners, and Pakistan believe the same strategy can work for them. Farhan said the pitch may help spin bowling. He also said Pakistan have many spin bowlers.

Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in four matches. Their fast bowlers have taken only seven wickets. Farhan said Pakistan will use spin to trouble England’s batters.

He also spoke about England pacer Jofra Archer. Farhan said facing Archer will not be difficult. He said he has played against similar fast bowlers before and has plans to face him.

Pakistan Possible Playing XI vs England

Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tarique, and Abrar Ahmed are expected in the playing XI against England.

It is the must-win game for Pakistan to qualify for the Super Eight stage in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, as they can't afford any kind of defeat in the ongoing Group A match against Namibia on Wednesday (February 18) afternoon. Pakistan have made two changes in their playing XI, as Abrar Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi are on the bench, and here we will know the reason for these changes.

After winning the toss at Colombo SSC, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha chose to bat first. It is the must-win match for them, as any defeat will eliminate them from the group stage, while the USA will advance to the Super Eight stage. 

See Also: Bangladesh seeks to strengthen cricket ties with India after the T20 World Cup 2026 exit

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, PAK vs NAM: Why are Abrar Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi not playing?

While the left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is not in good form, Abrar Ahmed has been criticised for his poor bowling performances in their last match against arch-rivals India. Khawaja Nafay and Salman Mirza have been added to the playing XI for the match as replacements. 

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, PAK vs NAM: Khawaja Nafay and Salman Mirza joined as replacements

Meanwhile, Pakistan have considered adding one extra batter to create balance in the squad, especially when the middle-order batting is hugely struggling. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay has been added to the playing XI against Namibia to add an extra batting option in the squad. He has played two T20Is, both this year, against Sri Lanka and Australia, where he scored 26 and 21 runs, respectively. He has been named for the Namibia match as a specialist batter, while Usman Khan has retained the wicketkeeper-batter role. 

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Salman Mirza is the left-arm fast bowler who has recorded 22 wickets in 14 T20Is. 

Pakistan cricket team have taken the loss against India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 the hard way. The selection has decided to drop senior players, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, from the team for the upcoming game against Namibia on Wednesday. While the players have underperformed in the World Cup campaign, dropping them from the playing XI comes after their defeat against India. 

Babar scored just five runs in the previous game before getting out to Axar Patel, while Shaheen was hit for 31 runs in two overs. He didn't get a wicket and was too expensive. This has been the case in the rest of the games as well. Pakistan managed to win the matches, but if they lose their next match, their qualification will be in jeopardy. 

Pakistan have some talented players warming the bench in the campaign, and they might come in and save the team from an embarrassing World Cup exit. Naseem Shah is most likely to be a replacement for Shaheen Afridi, while Fakhar Zaman can come in for Babar. Both are extremely great players and will get a chance to showcase their skills in the marquee event. 

Mike Hesson opened up on Pakistan's poor pressure management skills that led to defeat against India

Pakistan's head coach, Mike Hesson, looked quite frustrated with the team's performance against India in the World Cup 2026. They pulled off two strong victories against the USA and the Netherlands and were expecting to win this match as well. As per Hesson, Pakistan's poor pressure management skills were the reason behind their defeat against India. 

“Look it’s very much when a guy’s putting you under pressure — are you going to stick to your basics or are you going to go away from that? And I think that’s going to be a real challenge because as the tournament progresses, we’ll be put under pressure again," he said in the post-match press conference.

“And it’s how we respond when we’re under the pump. All these guys are international players, they’re all good players, but when the pressure comes on, are they going to trust the decision-making or are they going to probably go outside that? That’s something we’re going to have to get better at," he added.

Pakistan will play their next match against Namibia on February 18, which will be a do-or-die match for them. If they lose the match, their possibility of qualifying for the Super 8 will reduce. Meanwhile, India have qualified for the knockout stage. 

The rivalry between India and Pakistan looked quite one-sided in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, February 15. At the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, the arch-rivals met each other in the league stage, and unlike what the fans had anticipated, the match turned out to be completely different.

The pitch conditions weren't quite ideal for the batters, but India did put up 175 runs on the board in the first innings. Pakistan were asked to chase the total in the second innings, where they failed immensely. They lost the game by 61 runs as the batters couldn't stitch partnerships. The wickets kept tumbling at every interval, making it impossible for Pakistan to win the match.

After this victory, India have formally qualified for the Super 8. Meanwhile, following the game, Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi and Usman Tariq were spotted waiting for the Indian players for a handshake. However, the Men in Blue were busy among themselves, and after a long wait, Afridi and Tariq went back to the pavilion, looking frustrated. The moment quickly went viral on social media. 

Watch the video here:

Shaheen Afridi and Usman Tariq waited for a long time to shake hands.

But the Indian team didn’t even look at them. Another day, another humiliation for Pakistan. 😭🤣pic.twitter.com/2KLcWx806n

— Suprvirat (@Mostlykohli) February 16, 2026

Despite playing against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 and the T20 World Cup 2026, India have maintained their stand of not shaking hands with their arch-rivals. This started from the Asia Cup when Suryakumar Yadav and Co. maintained a distance on the field, showing their support towards the victims of the Pahalgham attack that happened back in April 2025. 

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya's magical spells helped India clinch victory

India have some of the best players in the world who step up during every crucial match. In the match against Pakistan, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya's spells in the powerplay were fantastic enough to put pressure on the batters. Once they started losing wickets consistently, there was no going back. Pandya started the innings in the absence of Arshdeep Singh, and rightly so, he's called the best all-rounder for a reason. 

Despite scoring a duck with the bat, he dismissed Sahibzada Farhan in the fourth ball of the first over, silencing the Pakistan crowd. Farhan was an important player as he was expected to go after Bumrah. After him, Bumrah dismissed Saim Ayub and Salman Agha in the same over, dismantling Pakistan's batting line-up. 

After the top order's failure, the wickets came easily for the bowlers. In the middle overs, Axar Patel showcased his talent, taking two wickets. Overall, it was an incredible game of cricket for India and now, they have booked a berth in the Super 8. 

Pakistan faced an embarrassing defeat against India by 61 runs in the group match of the T20 World Cup 2026. In the match played in Colombo on Sunday (15 February), the Pakistan team appeared completely disorganized, and their performance in the match never seemed competitive. Following this loss, the Pakistan team has been heavily criticized, and former captain and legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi appeared quite upset. Shahid even singled out his son in law, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and demanded that he be dropped from the team.

Pakistan had won their first two matches in the group stage was expected to break their losing streak against India and deliver a thrilling contest, but nothing of the sort happened. Pakistan completely surrendered in the match, and the situation was such that the team could not even play the full allotted overs in their innings. After losing the toss, Pakistan chose to bowl first and made a fantastic start by dismissing Abhishek Sharma in the very first over, but then Ishan Kishan played a crucial role in taking India to a score of 175/7 by scoring 77 runs off 40 balls. In response, Pakistan's entire team was bowled out for 114 runs in 18 overs.

See Also: Pakistan create history during IND vs PAK 1st innings in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Match 27

This shameful defeat has led to criticism of Pakistan from all sides. Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi targeted some senior players and even demanded that they be dropped from the team. According to Shahid, these players have always disappointed in big moments, and now the time has come to give new players a chance.

Shahid Afridi demanded the dropping of these 3 players, including his son in law

On Pakistan's news channel Samaa TV, after the match against India and Pakistan, Shahid Afridi said during the show that players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Shadab Khan should now be dropped. The Pakistani veteran even suggested that in the final group match against Namibia on February 18, these three should be replaced by giving young players a chance.

“So if I have to make a decision here, I would even sit Shaheen out, sit Babar out, and sit Shadab out as well. I would play the new boys, give the youngsters a chance. And in our match against Namibia, I would back them, give them confidence, and keep playing them, because we’ve been watching these players for so long — they keep getting opportunities. And every time, we expect that against a team like this, they will perform. These are senior players. If they’re not delivering for you, then why not play the juniors sitting on the bench? What’s the big difference anyway?” Shahid Afridi said.

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

Talking about the performance of these three senior players in the match played against India yesterday, Shaheen took just one wicket while conceding 31 runs in two overs. Meanwhile, Babar Azam got out after scoring only 5 runs, while Shadab gave away 15 runs in an over while bowling and contributed 14 runs with the bat.