Social media has started reacting as Pakistan drop Shaheen Shah Afridi in the must-win T20 World Cup 2026 match against Namibia. Indian cricket fans blame Ishan Kishan for the exclusion, albeit humorously.
“Massive call by Pakistan! Dropping Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed for a must-win game is a bold gamble, showing the team management is prioritising current form over reputation. All eyes will be on the bowling attack now to see if this shock decision pays off against Namibia,” commented a social media user.
“The first casualty of this T20 World Cup 2026 for Pakistan is Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar next?” wondered another.
“Pakistan will beat Namibia today for sure, they drop Shaheen Afridi And Abrar Ahmed for bad performances against India but Babar Azam is still there,” wrote another user.
Another quipped, “Premium Bowler Shaheen Afridi dropped.”
“Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh made Premier bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi a water boy in just one match,” reacted an Indian cricket fan as Shaheen was seen as the 12th Man.
“Abarar was Pakistan’s best spinner in the last 2 years and one off day against India and Salman Ali Agha dropped him. Babar Azam laughing,” commented another.
“Shaheen Afridi doing a bit of water-boy duty today! Humble moments like these can ground even the biggest stars hopefully it sparks a big comeback on the field,” posted a fan.
One Indian fan wrote, “Ishan Kishan thrashed Shaheen Afridi so badly in the last match that Shaheen got dropped from Pakistan’s playing XI today against Namibia.”
A Pakistani cricket fan wrote, “Abrar was dropped and Shadab remained in the XI. What a stupid management! Shaheen Afridi dropped but Babar remained part of the XI. Pakistan’s special quota for players remains consistent. They’re batting first so Pakistan will win it with ease. What about Super 8?”
Meanwhile, Babar Azam lost his number 4 position to Khawaja Nafay. Babar was not sent even at number 5. Shadab Khan went to bat after Nafay’s dismissal.
Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed against India
Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed had a difficult outing against India on 15 February. Shaheen was slammed by many former Pakistani cricketers after his performance in the IND vs PAK match.
After losing Abhishek Sharma in the 1st over of the match, many expected India to be circumspect. But, Ishan Kishan had other plans. He welcomed Shaheen Shah Afridi in the next over with a massive 6. Next ball, Ishan’s inside edge went for a 4. The Pakistani fast bowler never recovered after that.
It was a rare match when Shaheen was not allowed to finish his 4-over quota. He bowled just 2 overs and gave away 31 runs while taking 1 wicket. His economy rate stayed high at 15.50.
Ishan Kishan welcomed Abrar Ahmed in a similar fashion. He hit the Pakistani spinner for a 6 in the 1st ball of his spell. In the same over, he was hit for a 4 as well.
Ishan hit him for consecutive 4s to reach his 50. But, he didn’t stop. The southpaw hit Abrar for another 4 in the next ball. Abrar Ahmed bowled 3 overs but failed to take a wicket. He conceded 38 runs at an economy of 12.67.
