Shahid Afridi delivers striking verdict on Saim Ayub's and Azam Khan's future in International Cricket

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has backed young players like Azam Khan and Saim Ayub regarding them as the future of the national team. Pakistan cricket team introduced Saim Ayub as the new opening partner of Mohammad Rizwan and Azam Khan as Pakistan’s new wicketkeeper in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand where the Men in Green suffered a shambolic defeat by 1-4 against the BlackCaps.

The decision to remove Babar Azam from his opening position and move him to No.3 has drawn a lot of criticism as Saim Ayub failed to deliver as an opener in the series against New Zealand whereas Azam Khan was a complete flop in the series. Babar Azam smashed three consecutive half-centuries in the series, all of them coming in a losing cause where the rest of the Pakistan batters failed to deliver.

Saim Ayub has played 12 T20Is and a Test for Pakistan whereas Azam Khan has played eight T20Is. Both of them have not scored a fifty in their international careers and it is high time that the youngsters play at their full potential and show some outstanding performances to impress the selectors and fans. These youngsters need to contribute towards the team’s cause and win some matches.

Shahid Afridi mentioned that there is a lot of talent in new players like Azam Khan and Saim Ayub and they are the future of the national team. Young players included in the central contracts should be given some time while proper planning should be made regarding their playing opportunities.

It should not be such that if big names like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, or Shaheen Shah Afridi are rested, then there is no alternative for them, the bench of the national team needs to be strengthened so that a good alternative player is available when needed.

Shahid Afridi Feels Mohammad Hafeez Is The Right Choice For Director’s Position

Mohammad Hafeez has faced a lot of criticism from the media and fans since the beginning of his term as the team’s new director. Shahid Afridi has backed his former Pakistan teammate saying that he has played a lot of cricket and is the right man for the job. Shahid Afridi added that one cannot expect Hafeez to fix everything in just one series.

Pakistan has won only one match since their victory against New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. They lost the three-match Test series against Australia as the hosts whitewashed them 3-0.

New Zealand also thrashed Pakistan in the five-match T20I series by 4-1 where they were brutal against the Men in Green in the first four matches and finally, the Men in Green won their first T20I game under their new captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Shahid Afridi is one of the greatest all-rounders produced by Pakistan and he was part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2009 where they defeated Sri Lanka in the finals of the tournament. He was also the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup where he took 21 wickets in the tournament.