Babar Azam sparks controversy by firing shots at 90s Pakistan cricketers

Shabad Khan triggered widespread controversy when he launched a scathing attack on former Pakistan cricketers such as Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf. Ahead of the final of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Peshawar Zalmi skipper, Babar Azam, sympathized with his teammate Shadab Khan.

While speaking on Zalmi TV, Babar Azam said that if former cricketers said something aggressively against current cricketers, no one reacted. But as soon as someone from the active cricketers fired back, it became a talking point.

Babar Azam politely hit back at the former Pakistani cricketers

To ease the situation, Azam further said that everyone has their own way of talking. Khan might have said something in the heat of the moment.

When they speak about things, it's right, but if the current player has said something, it's not right. Anyway, it's a different ball game. Shadab said something in the heat of the moment. Everyone has their own way of speaking," said Babar Azam on Zalmi TV.

Furthermore, the 31-year-old reckoned that in the recent past, Pakistan’s track record in the T20 cricket, including the 2026 T20 World Cup, was not up to the mark. In this situation, when the team has been struggling to get back on the right track, it is everyone’s duty to support the national team.

"But in the end, you are just fighting among yourselves. There should be an effort to support the Pakistan team. Yes, we didn't do well in the T20 World Cup. We know we didn't perform well," he added.

There are personal attacks: Babar Azam

Social media platforms have become ease accesses for everyone around the corner to express themselves. Former cricketers have no expectations. With due respect, the batting maestro of Pakistan mentioned that there is a comparison between the 90s cricketers and the current generation. But sometimes, some of the comments sound like personal attacks, which is not acceptable.

“There is no comparison. If you talk about the 90s cricketers, they are very experienced. They have played more cricket. If they think we are making mistakes, then we must be. But sometimes, there are personal attacks. When that happens, a player thinks about answering back," Babar mentioned.

Shabad Khan showed a mirror to the former cricketers

This year in February, Shabad Khan was under fire as he clapped back at the former cricketers who had criticized the current cricketers heavily, by saying that those former cricketers of Pakistan were never involved in a squad that defeated the arch-rival, India. But the current set of players did that in the 2021 World Cup.

“Our ex-cricketers have their own opinions. They have done well for Pakistan, and at the end of the day, they have also never defeated India in the World Cup. We were the ones who defeated India in the 2021 World Cup,” Shadab told reporters on February, 2026.

"In World Cups, we have beaten India only once. Yes, they are legends, but they have never done anything remarkable against India in the World Cup,” he added.

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