Afridi wants youngsters trusted for the remaining T20 World Cup matches.
Pakistan suffered yet another defeat at the hands of India in ICC tournaments as they were outclassed by 61 runs in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Sunday (February 15).
Ishan Kishan's sensational 77 off 40 balls on a slow Premadasa pitch was worth its weight in gold, propelling India to a highly competitive 175/7 after being asked to bat first.
In rely, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs as India made it 8-1 against the arch-rivals in T20 World Cups. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak returned with scalp apiece.
Disappointed by the outcome, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi called for senior players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan to be benched for the rest of the tournament.
Afridi believes time has come for Pakistan to move on from repeated failures and give youngsters a proper chance.
“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 Samaa TV.
“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.
Babar’s struggles against India continued in Colombo. Pakistan’s premier batter managed only five runs off seven balls before being castled by Axar Patel.
Left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi proved to be the most expensive Pakistan bowlers, conceding 31 runs in his two overs, while spin all-rounder Shadab Khan leaked 17 runs in his one over before contributing 14 runs with the bat.
After the hammering against India, Pakistan sit third in Group A points table. They will have to win their last group-stage game against Namibia to qualify for the Super 8s of the tournament.