Is Shadab Khan Pakistan’s next captain?

KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricketers Basit Ali and Shoaib Malik have strongly opposed the idea of Shadab Khan being appointed as the next captain of the Pakistan cricket team.

Pakistan’s narrow defeat to the England cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match on February 24 has sparked intense debate among fans and cricket experts.

Chasing a target of 165, England secured a two-wicket victory, largely due to Harry Brook’s explosive century.

Following the loss, many critics pointed to key decisions and performances within the Pakistan camp. Former cricketers and analysts openly criticised Babar Azam’s sluggish batting, Shadab Khan’s ineffective all-round display, and the controversial exclusion of Abrar Ahmed from the playing XI.

Shadab, playing as an all-rounder, came under fire for leaking runs during the middle overs — a crucial phase when Pakistan needed to apply pressure. Critics argued that his inability to control the scoring rate allowed Brook to settle and dominate. Analysts also highlighted Shadab’s inconsistent recent form, noting that his leg-spin has lacked effectiveness on turning tracks such as Pallekele.

Former cricketer Ahmed Shehzad also criticised Shadab’s performance, stating, “Shadab badly leaked runs in the middle overs when pressure was needed the most.”

Despite his recent struggles, reports suggest that Shadab Khan is being considered as a potential future captain of the Pakistan cricket team — a development that has surprised many observers.

Speaking on ARY News’ sports show Har Lamha Purjosh, Shoaib Malik claimed that since Shadab began playing for Islamabad United, issues have followed him.

Malik said that Shadab often makes decisions independently, similar to his approach with the national team, and suggested this has contributed to instability in Pakistan’s middle order.

Basit Ali also criticised Shadab’s previous leadership stint against Afghanistan, claiming he created unnecessary controversy by announcing the team two days in advance before Pakistan went on to lose the series in the UAE.

“Shadab Khan should not be appointed captain. He led the national team against Afghanistan, and we lost that series to a smaller team,” Basit said.

Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik hinted that reports regarding Shadab’s potential captaincy may have been intentionally circulated to gauge public reaction.