Shahid Afridi advises Shadab Khan to answer critics through performance

New Delhi: Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat against India in the T20 World Cup 2026. The defeat has led to criticism from all quarters. The war of words in Pakistani cricket has now reached a new turning point. Former captain Shahid Afridi has expressed strong displeasure over all-rounder Shadab Khan's statement in which he attempted to belittle players from the previous generation.

Afridi's sharp attack

Shadab Khan recently said that his generation defeated India in an ICC tournament, something the previous generation couldn't do. Countering this, Afridi said that the current players couldn't handle the fame they received after the 2021 victory. He said, "Shadab was right in saying that they won, but after that victory, the discipline required within the team and individually disappeared. Disputes broke out, and the team disintegrated."

Perform against big teams, not Namibia

Afridi held Shadab up to the challenge, saying that criticism should be answered not with words, but with performance. He sarcastically said, "Son, your performance has only come against small teams like Namibia. If you want to respond, then play against New Zealand and big teams." Afridi reminded that even during his time, former cricketers had criticized him, but he had silenced them with his on-field performance.

Shahid Afridi also raised questions about ingratitude. Shahid Afridi reminded Shadab of the time when he was struggling with poor form and there were calls for his removal from the team. Afridi said, "When Shadab was failing, we were the ones on TV who called him the backbone of the team and supported him. But it seems Shadab has forgotten all that." He advised Shadab to prove his worth in the Super 8s of the World Cup so that his critics would be silenced.