Shaheen Afridi and Shahid Afridi [Source: X]The Pakistan cricket team had everything go wrong in their face-off against India at the T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo on February 15. The match ended in a howler for Pakistan, as they lost by 61 runs. Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi reacted strongly to this heavy defeat and demanded the exclusion of his own son-in-law, Shaheen Afridi, from the Pakistan cricket team. Notably, Shaheen Afridi, who led the pace attack, failed to make a significant impact. Although he picked up the wicket of Axar Patel, he conceded 31 runs in his two overs, which proved costly for just a single scalp. The Relation Between Shaheen And Shahid Afridi Speaking to local Pakistani media after the T20 World Cup 2026 match, Shahid Afridi was openly critical of the Pakistan cricket team’s performance, especially that of his son-in-law Shaheen Afridi, as well as Babar Azam and Shadab Khan. For the unaware, Shaheen Shah Afridi became Shahid Afridi’s son-in-law after marrying his second eldest daughter, Ansha Afridi, on February 3, 2023. The engagement took place in 2021, and the wedding was held two years later. Shaheen and Ansha welcomed their first child, a son named Aliyar Afridi, in August 2024.Shahid Demands Shaheen Afridi’s Exclusion From Pakistan Team Nevertheless, despite being Shaheen Afridi's father-in-law, Shahid Afridi openly criticised his bowling and called for his immediate exclusion ahead of the Namibia clash on February 18. “If I had to make the decision, I would drop Shaheen Afridi, I would drop Babar Azam, and I would drop Shadab Khan as well. It’s simple — play the new boys, give the youngsters a chance. In these numerous matches that we have left, play them against these teams, build their confidence, and back them,” Afridi said. Shahid Afridi was particularly vocal about giving chances to junior players and fresh faces, especially after senior players failed to deliver in marquee clashes. “We have been watching the same players for so many weeks now. They keep playing and playing, and whenever we expect them to perform well against certain teams, especially being such senior players, they fail to deliver. If the seniors are not stepping up, then give the juniors who are sitting out a chance. What difference would it really make?” Afridi added. How Did The Pakistan Stars Perform Against India? While Shahid opened the debate on whether new faces should replace experienced players, Shaheen has endured a poor run in the tournament. So far, he has played three group-stage matches against the Netherlands, USA, and India, and in all of them, he has been expensive, picking up just one wicket in each match. Babar Azam, except for the USA clash, has posted scores of 15 and 5, averaging 22 in the tournament so far, with a strike rate of 115.79. Shadab Khan has managed only two wickets from three outings, with an economy rate of 7.67 and a strike rate of 27.00. With the bat, he has scored 52 runs in three matches at an average of 17.33 and a strike rate of 133.33. Pakistan Shamed In Front Of Confident India While chasing India’s 175, Pakistan were bundled out for 114 inside 18 overs. The top order, with Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, failed with scores of 0 and 6, respectively. Babar Azam, entrusted with anchoring the innings, was dismissed by Axar Patel for just 5 runs. Shadab Khan, batting at number six, also disappointed with 14 off 15 balls, as Pakistan’s senior players failed to deliver. The Men in Green now face a crucial clash against Namibia. If they fail to win, they will risk elimination from the T20 World Cup 2026.
