Mohammad Hafeez, Saqlain Mushtaq forget cameras are rolling, fight on LIVE TV after Pakistan’s loss to India

Pakistan’s embarrassing loss to India in their T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo on February 15 has now turned into a full TV war. Just hours after the 61-run hammering at R. Premadasa Stadium, Mohammad Hafeez and Saqlain Mushtaq clashed badly on live television.

Mohammad Hafeez vs Saqlain Mushtaq turns into a heated war after Pakistan's defeat

Speaking on Tapmad’s show, Mohammad Hafeez and Saqlain Mushtaq’s heated on-air fight has shocked the fans. They clashed over a big question—who is responsible for this humiliation? Hafeez backed the players and said that experience and clarity of roles are not the problem.

The former Pakistan captain and coach said that the main issue is the execution, as he felt the team had the right combination but failed to show courage and skill when it mattered most.

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Hafeez asked Saqlain, “Six managements have changed after you, but the players are the same. How many people do they need to give clarity regarding their roles?”

Saqlain replied, “Look, Hafeez, I understand that when you change the support staff, in our culture, we are used to listening to our seniors. You respect your elders. And then you realize that if you don’t comply, a tag will be put on you. So, you hand over your responsibility to someone else, and they start to make the move for you.”

Saqlain blames constant changes, Hafeez blames the lack of development

To which, Hafeez responded by saying the main Pakistan players are very experienced. He noted that many of them have already played more than 100 T20 matches for the country.

He added, “Out of them, I can show you six players who have each played 100 matches. That’s our core, right? Nothing wrong with the roles; they are just not executing, not developing their skills.”

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However, Saqlain insisted that the players are very talented and have a lot of ability. He believes they can perform much better, but they do not feel settled or confident because of too many changes in the team and support staff. Saqlain noted, “Too much chopping and changing is one of the reasons why they are not performing well.”

Tactical blunders in the first nine overs

Meanwhile, Hafeez questioned Pakistan’s tactics as they allowed India to dominate the first nine overs in Colombo. The former coach stressed that the Men in Blue could have finished the match in the “first nine overs,” but they brought “our trump card [Usman Tariq], the one with the highest worry point, in only in the 11th over.”

He noted that the match was already done by then. Hafeez insisted, “These players knew their roles, but they couldn’t execute their skills. Let’s blame the players now.”

Family angle adds more spice

The debate became even more dramatic because Shadab Khan, one of the struggling players in the match, is Saqlain’s son-in-law. Well, Saqlain did not agree. He defended the players and blamed the constant management changes for the poor show.

Saqlain asked Hafeez, “You mentioned twice that in the first nine overs, the way Pakistan played, India took the match away from us. You’ve been a head coach, director of cricket, and captain. Would you say that the match was lost in those nine overs? Could you decide at that moment, or would the thought come later?”