Shaheen Afridi's exit taken personally by Pakistan veteran, rips apart Jason Gillespie, Shan Masood, and PCB

Ahmed Shehzad has taken to social media to express his outrage at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the national team management.

The reason behind Shehzad's latest attack at the PCB was the shocking decision to drop star pacer Shaheen Afridi from the squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, starting on August 30 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Shehzad, who has never been one to shy away from controversy, unleashed a scathing attack, accusing the PCB of scapegoating Afridi for Pakistan’s recent string of dismal performances, including their 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the first Test against Bangladesh.

Ahmed Shehzad slams PCB for dropping Shaheen Afridi

The explosive Pakistani batter minced no words, stressing Afridi alone should not bear the brunt of the blame for the national team's recent failures.

However, Shehzad acknowledged that the star pacer's recent form has been far from stellar, but he argued that dropping him alone will not address the deeper issues plaguing Pakistan cricket over the past few years.

Ahmed Shehzad said in a video posted on his X account: “You lost to Zimbabwe; you lost to Ireland; you lost to the USA; you lost to India; now you lost to Bangladesh. Is Shaheen Afridi only responsible for all of this? Shaheen Afridi won’t be solely responsible for all of this. So, bring all those people who were involved in all of this.”

The Pakistani cricketer continued, “So, it is wrong to blame Shaheen Afridi for all of this. Yes, his performances are low, his attitude is problematic, you dropped him, that’s a good thing. But what about the rest of the people involved in all of this? What about the rest of the performances?”

Shehzad didn’t stop there. In a video that quickly went viral, Shehzad questioned the accountability of other key players in the team, calling out the poor performances of openers Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, as well as Babar Azam.

Ahmed Shehzad demands accountability from Pakistan’s elite players and PCB

According to the outspoken cricketer, it’s not just Afridi who has underperformed, and unless the PCB takes a hard look at the contributions of the entire squad, Pakistan cricket will continue to suffer.

Shehzad added, “What about Abdullah Shafique’s performance in the last 8 Test matches? What about Saim Ayub’s performance after 25 matches? What about Babar Azam’s performance in the last 14 Test matches? So just by barring them, there won’t be any surgery; there won’t be any Pakistan team on the right track.

There are some decisions that will have to be taken. And those people who are involved in all of this, whose performances are low, they will also have to be held accountable.”

Eagle Hunted Down🦅Shaheen Afridi Dropped!#PAKvsBAN #ShaheenAfridi pic.twitter.com/Ey2BXWjtHn

— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) August 29, 2024

In the end, Shehzad emphasized that nothing is more important than cricket and the country.

He stressed that the nation comes before everything else, regardless of how many people try to manipulate public relations, hide behind personal achievements, or use their influence and money to sway decisions.

Shehzad pointed out that everyone, including those in charge at the PCB, is aware of these tactics.

He argued that if Pakistan cricket is to move in the right direction, it’s time to hold everyone accountable, not just a single individual, and to expose all those involved in declining the sport.