Pakistan are set to drop senior stars Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the final league stage clash in the T20 World Cup against Namibia after the duo’s underwhelming performances against India in Colombo, news agency PTI reported, quoting a ‘reliable’ source in the team management.
Pakistan are facing bashing from all around the corners since their 61-run defeat to India at the R Premadasa Stadium, with calls to hold the players accountable for such losses.
Naqvi sends strong message to Pakistani team after loss to India
The report added that Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his disappointment over the team’s 61-run defeat to India, conveying his displeasure to manager Naved Akram Cheema, and he reportedly left the venue before the loss.
“The Chairman left the match early at the Premadasa stadium as it became obvious Pakistan were going to face another defeat to India,” the source said as quoted by the news agency. He added that Naqvi, through a PCB official, has conveyed his displeasure to the manager, stating that such performances in games like these were not understandable or acceptable, the report added.
“Late at night, the management think tank decided enough was enough, and it was to bench Babar and Shaheen and try out Salman Mirza/Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman against Namibia on Wednesday,” he said. If the changes click, the duo’s World Cup campaign could effectively be over, with the management also keen to test youngster Khawaja Nafay in the middle order.
Former Pak cricketers call to drop Babar, Shaheen
Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketers have been vocal in dropping the duo from the team. Shoaib Malik asked Babar Azam’s role in the squad, while Shahid Afridi asked the management to drop his son-in-law Shaheen Afridi, from the team. “If we go back a little, we used to say, Babar has strike rate issues when he used to open, and then you are moving him to the No.4 position. The person who made this decision should be sacked immediately,” Shoaib Malik told ARY News.
“So if I have to take 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,” Afridi said while speaking on a Pakistan news channel.
“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?” he added.
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