Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has reacted to recent remarks made by Shadab Khan about beating India in the ICC World Cups.
Speaking to a private television channel, Shahid Afridi said Shadab was right to point out that Pakistan failed to defeat India at the World Cup, adding that India earned the recognition which Pakistan could not manage.
He explained that being unable to “handle respect” referred to the team’s internal issues, which players failed to manage collectively.
Shahid Afridi noted that Shadab should remember the support he received during difficult phases of his career, recalling that when the all-rounder was struggling for form and dropped from the side, former players consistently defended him on television, describing him as the team’s backbone with an important role.
The former skipper said he knows Shadab personally and described him as a well-mannered individual who treats everyone with respect. He added that former cricketers had also criticised his generation in the past, but they responded by proving themselves through performances rather than words.
Shahid Afridi further remarked that while Pakistan often failed against smaller teams, they delivered strong performances against top sides. Addressing Shadab directly, he said the player had performed well against Namibia national cricket team and urged him to replicate that showing against New Zealand.
He concluded by saying that senior players stood by Shadab during tough times, despite his limited domestic cricket experience, and stressed that strong performances would be the best response, silencing critics in the process.