Shahid Afridi humiliates Shadab Khan with savage ‘BETA’ taunt

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi hit back at Shadab Khan following his remark that earlier teams never beat India in World Cups. Afridi said that Shadab should focus on delivering match-winning performances against strong opponents instead of criticizing former cricketers, adding that results on the field matter.

Following Pakistan’s loss to archrivals India at the T20 World Cup 2026, Shadab came under scrutiny from former players, who questioned his place in the team. The all-rounder stated that he was part of the Pakistan side that managed to beat India in an ICC event, something earlier generations had not achieved.

Shadab Khan Ne Bilkul Theek Kaha - Shahid Afridi

Speaking on a Pakistani news channel, Shahid Afridi said that the Pakistan team that beat India in the 2021 T20 World Cup failed to cope with the success. Afridi added that the players struggled with internal issues.

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"Shadab ne bilkul theek kaha. Hum nahi jeete, wo jeete. Unhe izzat mili par wo izzat sambhaal nahi paaye. 2021 ke baad unhone jab kar diya, tab unke aapas ke problems sambhaal nahi paaye, as an individual nahi sambhaal paaye, as a team nahi sambhaal paaye," Afridi said on Samaa TV.

(Shadab was absolutely right. We didn't win; they won. They got respect, but they couldn't handle that respect. After 2021, when they achieved something, they couldn't manage their internal problems-neither individually, nor as a team.)

Shahid Afridi on Shadab Khan's statement about Ex-cricketers.

"Shadab is right, we didn't win against India in WC, they won in 2021. They received respect, but they couldn't uphold it".

pic.twitter.com/jEyXywv7cC

— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) February 19, 2026

Shadab Khan Ko Ye Bhi Pata Hona Chahiye Ki - Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi also said that he had backed Shadab Khan during a difficult phase of his career. He recalled defending Shadab on television and calling him the backbone of the team. Afridi added that Shadab seemed to have forgotten that support.

"Shadab ko ye bhi pata hona chahiye ki jab usse performances nahi ho rahi thi, tab team se bahar kiya jaa raha tha, hum hi TV channels pe baith kar bolte they ki Shadab backbone hai, Shadab ke overs bohot important hain, batting bhi kar leta hai. Honestly bataun, Shadab is a very good boy. Bohot acche se sabse milta hai," Afridi remarked.

(Shadab should also know that when he wasn't performing, he was being dropped from the team. At that time, we were the ones sitting on TV channels saying that Shadab is the backbone, his overs are very important, and he can also bat. Honestly speaking, Shadab is a very good boy. He meets everyone very nicely.)

Pakistan reached the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup 2026 despite inconsistent performances. The former Pakistan captain said that Shadab Khan still had a lot to prove, as his best performance came against Namibia. He also reminded Shadab that former players faced criticism in their time as well.

"Even when we used to play cricket, ex-cricketers said a lot of things about us too. They even said 'Lanat hai' (curse). We tolerated it and responded with performances, not against small teams, but against big teams. We answered through performance," the former Pakistan captain continued.

"Shadab, your performance was against Namibia, now do it against New Zealand. Son, give performances. In tough times, we stood by you. You didn't play aggressive cricket, yet you still made it back into the Pakistan team. Now respond with performances so that we also become silent. Perform, once the World Cup is over, we ourselves will go quiet, son," Afridi concluded.

Also read: Shadab Khan faces serious threats from PCB after firing shots at ex-Pakistan cricketers