The Pakistan cricket team’s shambolic performance against India in the Asia Cup 2025 match on Sunday was overshadowed by the no-handshake row. As the match concluded, the Indian team’s decision not to shake hands with the Pakistan team became the talk of the town, with the gulf between the quality of the two sides somehow evading cricket pundits’ analysis. But former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi hasn’t forgotten what he saw from Salman Ali Agha’s team in Dubai. During a chat on a Pakistani TV channel, Afridi even slammed his own son-in-law, Shaheen, for his poor execution with the ball.
Shaheen was ineffective with the ball but his quickfire knock of 33 runs off 16 balls helped Pakistan go past the 100-run mark while batting first. Even Shahid admitted that Pakistan might have been bowled out for a double-digit score had Shaheen not produced runs down the order. Yet, he isn’t happy with his son-in-law’s performance.
“Thankfully, Shaheen scored some runs, which helped our team to go past the 100-run mark. But I don’t want runs from Shaheen, I want bowling from Shaheen, I don’t want bowling from Sam Ayub, I want runs from him. Shaheen should understand that his role is to swing the new ball and he should know how to take wickets by moving the ball forward. He should focus on his game plan,” Shahid Afridi told Samaa TV.
Afridi also urged Shaheen to play mind games to get wickets as that remains his primary job in the team.
“Shaheen should play mind games, he can take wickets in the beginning. I would like him to win the match for Pakistan with his bowling,” he said.
Afridi even slammed the cricketing system in Pakistan, saying the quality of first-class cricket in the country is ‘third class’.
While the crisis in Pakistan’s cricketing system isn’t hidden from anyone, the PCB has been urged for long to invest more on the country’s First Class cricketers. Afridi urged the country’s cricket board to invest in domestic cricket and help players prepare for the challenges of the game.
“You need to better the domestic system in Pakistan, invest money, bring qualified coaches, and help players develop a progressive mindset that can cope with the demands of the game. I am tired of asking the PCB to do this, I am requesting once again. Please focus on domestic cricket. Just do one favour to Pakistan, make their domestic system strong.