Former Pakistan captains Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez have sparked fresh debate over the role of all-rounder Shadab Khan, openly questioning both his place in the playing XI and speculation about his possible captaincy.
During a recent interview with a local news channel, Afridi gave a blunt assessment of Shadab’s current form and his chances of leading the national team.
The former all-rounder also expressed concern over what he described as inconsistent performances in recent outings and criticized the continued support of the team management.
“Looking at his performance, I wouldn’t keep him in the team, let alone give him the captaincy,” Afridi said.
The 49-year-old further explained that the constant support of the coaching staff kept Shadab in contention despite his struggles.
“The head coach is giving Shadab a chance. That’s why I said Shadab can be the next Pakistan captain. But looking at his recent performance, he doesn’t deserve a place in the playing XI,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hafeez also weighed in on the leadership debate, questioning the logic of appointing a player as captain if he has not firmly secured his place in the team.
The former team director stressed that such results could repeat past mistakes.
“Then you repeat the same mistake – you make someone who doesn’t even have a place in the team as captain. Shadab is a great player and he has played well for Pakistan,” Hafeez said.
He further highlighted the specific demands of Shadab’s role in the shorter format, underlining that a bowling all-rounder must make a significant impact with the ball before his batting can be considered an added advantage.
“He is a bowling all-rounder. In the T20 format, he has to bowl his full four overs and then play his bat. But so far, Shatab has not shown that sharpness in his bowling, so I don’t think he deserves a place in the team at this time. However, if he becomes the captain, I would be surprised,” he added.
Talking about Pakistan’s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026, the team started their league-level matches on a positive note, defeating the Netherlands by three wickets.
However, it suffered a heavy defeat by 61 runs against arch-rivals India in its second match. Pakistan bounced back strongly against Namibia, winning their last group-stage match by 102 runs.
Their first Super Eight match against New Zealand was abandoned, followed by a loss to England. Pakistan started their campaign with a 5-run win over Sri Lanka.
Following the T20 World Cup disappointment, Pakistan will tour Bangladesh for a 3-match ODI series in Dhaka from March 11 to 15.