“There is No Continuity or Consistency in the Board’s Decisions and Policies” – Shahid Afridi Slams Pakistan Cricket Board

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board for its approach to team selection, particularly after the inclusion of 26-year-old all-rounder Shadab Khan for the tour of New Zealand.

Afridi, now 45, questioned the board's decision to choose Shadab, pointing out that he had not performed well enough after being dropped from the team. Shadab last played for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in 2024, where he ended the tournament without taking a wicket and made minimal contributions with the bat. Following this performance, he was dropped and did not have a strong return in domestic cricket, which prompted Afridi to challenge the board's choices.

On what basis has he been recalled? What are his performances in domestic cricket or otherwise that he had been picked again. All the time we talk about preparations and when an event comes and we flop then we talk about surgery. Fact is Pakistan cricket is in ICU because of incorrect decisions.”

Afridi stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board is in "ICU" due to its poor decisions. He also referenced comments made by the Pakistan A coach, Aaqib Javed, who indicated that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan had been dropped in favor of a new approach focused on high intent.

However, during the first T20I of the New Zealand tour, Pakistan suffered a significant defeat in Salman Ali Agha's debut match as captain, leading fans to question where this supposed intent was.

In response to the loss, Salman Ali Agha admitted that Pakistan's batting was not up to standard. "It was obvious that we weren't at our best," he said. "They bowled really well, executing their plans effectively with swing and seam. Our batting, however, was lacking. We have a day before the next game, and we will work to regroup and improve."

Overall, Pakistan is currently facing a crisis in strategy, as highlighted by Shahid Afridi, who emphasized that the entire Pakistan cricket setup is struggling due to inconsistent strategies and decision-making.