Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has delivered a blunt assessment of the national team’s performance during his appearance on Samaa TV’s show Zor Ka Jor, saying no improvement will come until tough decisions are made.
Afridi criticized players, captaincy, coaching staff, and selection policies, urging authorities to focus on performance rather than reputation.
Afridi said there is a growing perception that star players consider themselves bigger than the game.
“We believe that whoever becomes a star thinks he has become bigger than cricket,” he remarked.
He emphasized that nothing will improve unless firm decisions are taken, adding that selectors should not be influenced by player names or social media pressure.
“Don’t go by the names, go by performance,” Afridi stressed.
Domestic cricket must be mandatory
The former captain proposed strict accountability measures.
“Whoever does not play domestic cricket should sit out,” he said, suggesting that players skipping domestic competitions should not be given central contracts.
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Afridi made it clear that merit must replace favoritism, calling for a system where consistent performance determines selection.
Captaincy, coaching
Afridi also targeted the team’s leadership and coaching staff. “There is no plan from the coaches. Why do they seem to be sitting quietly?” he questioned.
He criticized the captain’s personal performance, saying a captain must lead from the front to keep team morale high.
“If the captain does not lead from the front, the morale of the players drops,” he said, urging players to lift themselves before the next match.
Tactical mistakes, match decisions
Reflecting on recent matches, Afridi said Pakistan made several wrong decisions. He claimed the last over should have been given to Faheem Ashraf instead of Shaheen Afridi.
Afridi also expressed surprise at the decision to field first after winning the toss.
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“If the wicket was damp, then fielding first would have made sense. If they were confident in chasing, then batting later would have been right,” he explained.
He added that Usman Tariq was used from the sidelines instead of being fully trusted.
Criticism of batting unit
Afridi said Indian bowlers exposed Pakistan’s batting weaknesses. He questioned the technique of Sahibzada Farhan, asking whether he possesses the required technical ability.
He also commented on Saim Ayub, saying the batter appears to rely only on playing on the leg side. Regarding Babar Azam, Afridi said fans cannot always expect him to win matches single-handedly.
“Babar must have won only one or two matches,” Afridi remarked, suggesting the team must collectively take responsibility.
