Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi openly challenged compatriot Wasim Akram on live television after the latter called for the removal of six to seven players from the current team. Akram’s remarks came in the aftermath of Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the Champions Trophy at home.
Expressing his concerns, Akram insisted that Pakistan must make tough decisions and replace underperforming players with young talent to rebuild for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Speaking on Dressing Room, he asserted, “Enough is enough. We are losing in white-ball with these players from some couple of years. The time is to take a bold step. What is the bold step? As Waqar Younis was saying, bring young players, fearless cricketers and bring them in white-ball cricket.”
Shahi Afridi, however, took issue with Akram’s suggestion, pointing out the lack of immediate replacements of the same caliber. He acknowledged the emotional reaction following Pakistan’s loss to India but questioned the feasibility of dropping multiple key players at once. Addressing Akram directly on a local channel, Afridi remarked, “I was listening to Wasim bhai that day. Yes, we all got carried away by emotions (after the loss to India). He said that 6-7 players need to be dropped from the side. Wasim bhai, I just have one question for you. Do you have 6-7 players on the bench who can replace them? Do you have players of those standards in domestic cricket? Have we groomed them in the academies?”
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign ended in disappointment as they failed to win a single match, with their final group-stage fixture against Bangladesh getting washed out. The underwhelming performance has intensified calls from frustrated fans demanding structural changes within Pakistan’s cricket setup. With this being the country’s first ICC tournament in nearly three decades, expectations were high, but the team fell short once again.
This latest group-stage exit continues a concerning trend for Pakistan cricket, marking their third consecutive early elimination from an ICC event, following the T20 World Cup last year and the 2023 ODI World Cup. While other teams have embraced a fearless and aggressive style of play, Pakistan appears to be struggling to keep pace with the evolving nature of modern cricket.
