PAK vs CAN: Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram expose Pakistan's inner turmoil post-India defeat

Pakistan cricket legends Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram made some shocking revelations about the internal strife in the Pakistan cricket team after their narrow six-run defeat to India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in New York on Sunday, June 9.

Sparking controversy amid the glam of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and Caribbean, Afridi has openly claimed that there are underlying issues within the Pakistan team that are affecting their performance on the global stage.

The former Pakistan captain has indirectly targeted the current captain, Babar Azam, by saying the captain's role is crucial in either uniting or dividing the team while suggesting a troublesome atmosphere in the dressing room under his leadership.

Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram expose internal turmoil in the Pakistan Cricket Team after loss to India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024

Afridi, the legendary all-rounder, said that he will not reveal any detail about the Pakistan cricket team’s internal issues at the moment, as his statement could be perceived as biased because his daughter is married to fast bowler Shaheen Afridi.

But Afridi, an ICC brand ambassador for T20 World Cup 2024, stated that he would openly reveal everything after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Notably, the legendary all-rounder attended the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday.

Shahid Afridi was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “A captain brings everyone together, either he spoils the team environment or he builds the team. Let this World Cup finish, and I will speak openly. I have such a relationship with Shaheen (Afridi) that if I talk about him, people will say I am favouring my son-in-law.”

Adding further fuel to the fire, former Pakistan captain and legendary bowler, Wasim Akram, also revealed the strained relationships among the players. Akram claimed that some of the national players were not communicating with each other and called for their removal from the team.

Wasim Akram urges to remove non-cooperative players from Pakistan team

Akram stated: “There are players who don’t want to talk to each other. This is international cricket, and you play for your country. Make these players sit at home.” The legendary pacer also attended the IND vs PAK match in New York and the duo were commentating during the match.

Earlier, the legendary Pakistani pacer Waqar Younis said that the Indian cricket team had given a win to the Pakistan cricket team on a plate, but the Men in Green badly failed to grab this golden opportunity. Younis expressed disappointment over Pakistan's missed opportunity against India.

Notably, Babar Azam has replaced Shaheen Afridi as Pakistan’s white-ball captain just before the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision has also sparked debate among fans and cricket experts.

This leadership swap has a negative impact on the team's morale and performance on the field. Now, Afridi's and Akram's comments will certainly trigger intense scrutiny and debate among the cricket fraternity amid the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.