ICC T20 World Cup 2022: "Logon Ko Shoaib Malik Kyun Yaad Aata Hai?" - Shahid Afridi Slams Pakistan Cricket Board

On October 23, Pakistan’s cricket squad will play their first T20 World Cup match against its bitter foe, India. The team participated in many T20I series prior to the competition, including a seven-match set against England in which they suffered a narrow 3-4 loss.

However, in the T20I tri-series between Bangladesh and New Zealand, the Babar Azam-led team defeated the Kiwis in the championship match with an outstanding victory.

But Pakistan’s middle-order has been one of the team’s biggest worries leading up to the T20 World Cup. Mohammad Nawaz and Haider Ali played well in the tri-series final, but the side’s disappointing performance in games 3-6 put substantial pressure on its top order of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan.

Pakistan Cricket Board Remember Players Like Shoaib Malik Only When The Current Ones Perform Poorly: Shahid Afridi

The experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who was widely expected to return to the team, was passed over by the Pakistan Cricket Board, who decided to stick with the current middle-order batsmen for the T20 World Cup.

Prior to the commencement of the team’s tournament campaign, Shahid Afridi, the former captain of Pakistan, commented on Malik’s absence and insisted that people only remember players like him when the current ones perform poorly.

“Ham naye ladke ko chance dete hain. Vo perform nahi kar paate toh puraane yaad aane lagte hain. Logon ko Shoaib Malik kyun yaad aata hai? Isliye kyunki koi perform nahi kar raha hota aur fir vo hi hamein achha lag raha hota hai.

“(We give chances to new people, and when they don’t perform, we start remembering the old ones. Why are people remembering Shoaib Malik? It’s because the newer guys aren’t performing),” Afridi said on Samaa TV.

“Mere baare me logon ki rai thi ki Lala aap abhi bhi khel sakte hain. Par main bol deta hu ki bas, ho gaya hai. (People also tell me that I can still play for Pakistan. But for me, that chapter is over),” said the former Pakistan skipper.