Pakistan are placed in Group 2 of Super 8s with New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka.
When asked about the growing criticism of his performance by former players such as Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf, Shadab did not mince words, reminding the greats that their team had never been able to defeat India in World Cups, a feat he accomplished in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup, when the Babar Azam-led side defeated Virat Kohli's India by ten wickets in Dubai.
Shadab's comment irritated Mohammad Amir, Ahmed Shehzad, Basit Ali, and Shoaib Malik, and it appears that even the PCB has taken notice, warning Shadab against using such strong language and tone.
Now reports have stated that PCB has issued a warning to Shadab Khan against using such language, and the warning was conveyed to him via team manager Naveed Cheema. Shadab has been asked to refrain from repeating such things.
“Naveed Cheema has been called to convey to Shadab that he was out of his limits in the press conference on Wednesday night. Shadab should know that all former players, including his father-in-law, Saqlain Mushtaq, are respectable and are greats of Pakistan. Shadab should respect them and should not use such language,” Telecom Asia Sport quoted a source as saying.
Given what happened with Shadab, the other Pakistan players have been ordered to limit their comments to the T20 World Cup and the game. They have also been informed that if they deviate from the rules, they will face consequences.
Shadab's father-in-law, former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, expressed anger with Shadab's statements, calling them "unwanted."
"Those were unwanted comments, and most of the players had played with me. In fact, I am also one of them who had not won an ICC event, but we had won several big matches for Pakistan, Tests and ODIs," Saqlain told Telecom Asia Sport.
Pakistan has been placed with New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka in the Super 8s Group 2.