Shaheen Shah Afridi faced intense criticism on social media after Pakistan dropped him for their must-win Group A clash against Namibia on Wednesday, February 18, at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. In place of the left-arm seamer, Pakistan brought in fellow left-armer Salman Mirza, who had been benched for the matches against the USA and India despite picking up three wickets against the Netherlands earlier in the tournament.
Shaheen has endured an underwhelming campaign so far, managing just three wickets while conceding runs at an economy rate of 11.22. During the high-voltage encounter against India on Sunday, February 15, Shaheen gave away 31 runs in his two overs, although he did account for the wicket of Axar Patel.
Notably, he was the only specialist pacer deployed by Pakistan in that game, and his expensive spell significantly dented the team’s chances. The costly outing contributed to Pakistan suffering a 61-run defeat, marking their biggest loss to India in terms of runs.
Reports had earlier suggested that both Shaheen and Babar Azam might be benched for the Namibia fixture, as Babar too failed to make a meaningful impact against India after Axar dismissed him. However, when the playing XI was announced, only Shaheen was left out, with Babar retaining his spot in the side.
PAKISTAN ALSO DROP ABRAR AHMED
In addition to Shaheen, Pakistan also dropped spinner Abrar Ahmed, who conceded 38 runs in the three overs he bowled in the previous game. The team management opted to bolster the batting lineup instead, bringing in Khawaja Nafay, who had not featured in the first three matches of the tournament.
Meanwhile, fans took to social media to mock Shaheen’s exclusion. Some sarcastically remarked that Namibia’s chances of pulling off an upset had diminished, joking that it was unfortunate news for Namibia that Shaheen was not part of Pakistan’s playing XI.
One fan wrote, “Sad news for Namibia, Shaheen Shah Afridi is not playing today.”
It remains to be seen whether Shaheen earns a recall for Pakistan’s next fixture, provided the team secures qualification for the Super 8 stage of the competition.
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Here’s how Shaheen Shah Afridi was trolled
