Shahid Afridi, former Pakistan cricketer, has slammed the PCB selection committee, holding them directly responsible for the Pakistan team’s ODI series loss to Bangladesh on March 15, 2026. Pakistan lost the third and final ODI in Dhaka by 11 runs to lose the series 1-2.
Afridi questioned the choice to give the captaincy to his son-in-law, Shaheen Afridi, before arguing that it made no sense to remove top batter Babar Azam from the squad during the T20 World Cup campaign. Pakistan's performance at the World Cup was as disappointing as they failed to get to the semifinals.
In a video released on social media, Afridi unleashed a harsh attack on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors for the national team's poor form.
“You saw the performances in the 2026 T20 World Cup, and after that, we also lost the Bangladesh series 2–1. In my opinion, the selection committee deserves criticism. All of you in the committee have played so much cricket, yet you still don't seem to have the idea of who should be the captain for which format,” Afridi said.
“You keep making too many decisions in the name of 'surgery.' What you are doing is picking youngsters and players who have barely played a few first-class matches. Your domestic cricket is not even of the standard that it can consistently produce players ready to secure a place in the Pakistan team,” he added.
Afridi also stated that several senior players have not gotten opportunities despite proving their worth in international cricket. He also stated that the PCB selection committee lacks any planning for the future when it comes to selection strategies.
“The senior players who actually deserved their place — even if they didn't have strong T20 performances — had very good records in ODIs. But in the name of 'surgery,' you sidelined those experienced players despite their solid ODI performances.
Instead, you brought in youngsters who have only played a few domestic and first-class matches. The standard of domestic cricket is not high enough, and those players are not ready to come straight into the Pakistan team and cement their place. You keep handing out Pakistani caps again and again—this is not surgery. If anything, the real surgery should be done on the selection committee,” Afridi said.
