"You must have often heard me scolding Shaheen Afridi" - Shahid Afridi denies favoritism towards son-in-law

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi talked about how he deals with his son-in-law Shaheen Afridi. He said that he praises the fast bowler less and scolds him more as all the players of the Pakistan Cricket Team are the same for him, and he treats them equally.

Pakistan premier cricketer Shaheen Afridi has been in the headlines for a while now. Things haven't been going in his favor for the last few months, and apart from his performances on the field, he also made headlines for his antics off the field.

After the ICC World Cup 2023, Shaheen Afridi was given the white-ball captaincy of the team but he didn't get time to prove himself. The fast bowler was given just one series as a leader, where he faced a 4-1 loss against New Zealand. After that, he was sacked as the captain, with Babar Azam taking over the leadership again.

There have been a lot of reports that Shaheen Afridi isn't happy with the way the Pakistan Cricket Board treated him. It was even learned that his relationship with Babar Azam is not even good, as there are tensions inside the Pakistan dressing room.

After the T20 World 2024, it was reported that head coach Gary Kirsten had accused Shaheen Afridi of misbehaving in the team and also disturbing the atmosphere of the team. After that, even the Chairman of the board stated that they wouldn't tolerate any indiscipline in the team.

While talking about Shaheen Afridi, Shahid Afridi stated that he always analyzed things and stated that he scolds the pacer more than praising him. He also called Pakistan players sons of the country. Speaking during an event, he explained:

"Because I analyze everything and then I talk about it. I talk about things taking into consideration cricket, captaincy, and performances. Shaheen ki tareef mujhe aap logo ne kam karte suna hoga, dant'te hue, udate hue aapne mujhe bohot dafa suna hoga. (You guys must have heard me praising Shaheen very less, instead, you must have often heard me scolding him.) For me, every boy in the Pakistan team is equal to me. They are the sons of this country."

They are the children of this country - Shahid Afridi on Pakistan players

Shahid Afridi further highlighted that when the players of the Pakistan team play well everyone feels happy as they can walk on the road with their heads high. He elaborated:

"They are the children of this country. They play well. We are happy. We are walking on the roads with respect from the outside world. Alhamdulillah. I have seen that whenever I say something, people take it negatively. So I have stopped talking about it."

"Shaheen Ki Tareef Main Kam He Karta Hun, Main Dant'ta Ziada Hun Usko," said Former Captain Shahid Afridi#TOKReports #ShahidAfridi #ShaheenShahAfridi pic.twitter.com/Z29QOrYrO3

??? Times of Karachi (@TOKCityOfLights) July 29, 2024

Pakistan National Cricket Team are now all set to lock horns with Bangladesh National Cricket Team for the two-match Test series in August this month. The series will be played from 21st August to 3rd September.