Shahid Afridi Blasts Pakistan Selectors Over Babar Azam Exclusion
NEW DELHI – Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has heavily criticized the national selection committee following a 2-1 ODI series defeat against Bangladesh. The series loss compounds the pressure on the management team after Pakistan failed to advance in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Bangladesh secured the series victory with an 11-run win in the deciding match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Following the loss, Afridi released a public statement addressing the decisions made by the selection committee, specifically questioning the exclusion of senior players and the lack of leadership consistency across formats.
Questioning the Roster Strategy
“You saw the performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and after that, we also lost the Bangladesh series 2-1,” Afridi stated, correcting the widely discussed timeline of recent tournaments. “In my opinion, the selection committee deserves criticism. All of you in the committee have played so much cricket, yet you still do not seem to have the idea of who should be the captain for which format.”
Afridi targeted the recent roster overhaul, which team management described as a necessary surgery. He indicated that senior players with proven ODI records, widely understood to mean Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman according to historical ICC rankings data, were improperly benched in favor of untested rookies.
- Inexperience: The new call-ups lack sufficient first-class experience to compete internationally.
- Domestic Standard: The current domestic system does not adequately prepare players for immediate international success.
- Misaligned Metrics: Dropping proven ODI batters based on poor T20 performances lacks analytical logic.
“The senior players who actually deserved their place even if they did not have strong T20 performances had very good records in ODIs,” Afridi said. “But in the name of surgery, you sidelined those experienced players despite their solid ODI performances. If anything, the real surgery should be done on the selection committee.”
Match Summary: Bangladesh vs. Pakistan
In the series decider, Bangladesh batted first and posted a formidable total. Tanzid Hasan anchored the innings with his maiden ODI century, hitting six fours and seven sixes to reach 107 runs. Contributions from Saif Hassan (36), Litton Das (41), and an unbeaten 48 from Towhid Hridoy allowed Bangladesh to finish at 290 for 5. Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf led the bowling attack for his side, taking three wickets.
| Team | Innings Score | Top Scorer | Key Bowler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 290/5 (50 overs) | Tanzid Hasan (107) | Taskin Ahmed (4 wkts) |
| Pakistan | 279 all out | Salman Ali Agha (106) | Haris Rauf (3 wkts) |
Pakistan experienced an early collapse during the chase, losing both opening batters within the first two overs to fall to 2 for 2. Salman Ali Agha stabilized the innings with an aggressive 106 off 98 balls. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi contributed 37 runs, while debutants Saad Masood (38) and Ghazi Ghori (29) added middle-order runs. Despite a late 34 from Abdul Samad, Pakistan was dismissed for 279.
The Bangladesh bowling unit, tracked via historical match logs on platforms like ESPNcricinfo, executed effectively under pressure. Taskin Ahmed finished with four wickets, and Mustafizur Rahman claimed three to secure the series victory for the hosts.