Pakistan lost the match to England by two wickets, although the huge number of runs was scored by England captain Harry Brook alone as he scored a century in 51 balls to take his team to the knockouts. This loss not only affected their chances but also their high morale, which they improved with so many T20I series wins in this ICC tournament.
However, the results in big-money competitions have not been to their liking. They were defeated by India and later by England. The other big match against New Zealand was fortunately wiped out by rain.
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“When Saim Ayub didn’t step up, Babar should have been given his position,” Shahid Afridi burst out angrily at Mike Hesson.
Pakistan coincidentally selected Saim Ayub as their opener for the T20 World Cup alongside the dynamic Sahibzada Farhan, who has been exceptionally consistent for them, barring one match against India. While Farhan is the highest run-getter in the league, Ayub’s batting form has been a major problem of late.
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi is now unhappy with Mike Hesson for not promoting Babar Azam to the top as he was present in the XI as one of the most experienced batsmen in the T20 unit.
“He had a senior option in the form of Babar Azam, who is not ideally a player to play at No. 4. You planned to play at No. 4, and now you have lost a number of games, so you would have to switch him to his natural role at the top,” Afridi opined.
While Saim Ayub’s usefulness remains as he can bowl quality spin and has been a standout with the ball of late, Shahid Afridi feels he should have been offered a different role after failing at the top.
“Especially since Saim Ayub played as an opener in the first few matches, Babar should have replaced him after he failed to impress as an opener,” Afridi added.
“They also had Fakhar as an option.” – Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi continued to blast the Pakistan head coach as after Babar he then pointed out the presence of Fakhar Zaman, another experienced batsman in the squad. Zaman has been part of many former World Cups for India; however, he is no longer part of the first-choice XI.
“They also had another option with Fakhar Zaman. But for him I can think that he is a player who can perform just as well in the middle and come in at number 5 or 6.”
He looked visibly frustrated with the wrong call on Babar Azam, excusing Fakhar Zaman’s non-promotion as the left-hander has the ability to push the scoring rate higher during the back end of the innings and also operate through the middle overs.
Shahid Afridi then said, “I don’t want to get grumpy this early in the morning. It will ruin my ‘Roja’.”
Shahid Afridi is angry with Mike Hesson for not sending Babar as opener despite Siam’s failurepic.twitter.com/KhT2IPk1TT
— Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) February 25, 2026
Pakistan have very slim chances of qualification after New Zealand’s dominant win over Sri Lanka
After New Zealand’s impressive win over Sri Lanka yesterday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka are officially eliminated and they will be Pakistan’s last opponents, which is a must for them to win.
New Zealand’s last match is against the England team. England have not given their best, although they have scored points consistently. New Zealand can still gain the upper hand over the English team, which has already advanced to the semi-finals.
For Pakistan to qualify, they must win against Sri Lanka with a surplus of runs, and New Zealand must be defeated by the English side. Therefore, Pakistan would look to the English and beg them to keep their opportunities open.
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