Shahid Afridi suggests Pakistan XI against England; drops Shaheen

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Tuesday proposed his preferred playing XI for Pakistan’s crucial Super Eight clash against England in Kandy at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

In his suggested lineup, Afridi notably left out his son-in-law, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

In a statement posted on X, Afridi said, “Today is about coming together as one,” describing the fixture against England as a crucial encounter.

He added that success would depend on “shared belief and absolute commitment,” and wished the team well, urging them to make the nation proud.

Afridi’s proposed XI includes: Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Salman Mirza, and Usman Tariq.

Pakistan are in a must-win situation after their opening Super Eight match against New Zealand was washed out. A defeat against England would significantly dent their chances of reaching the semifinals.

England, meanwhile, strengthened their position by bowling Sri Lanka out for just 95 runs. Another win would secure their place in the last four with a game to spare.

If Pakistan lose to England, they would need to defeat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight match and rely on other results to progress.

Earlier, Basit Ali predicted that Shaheen Shah Afridi could replace Faheem Ashraf.

Speaking on ARY News program Har Lamha Purjosh, former cricketer Basit Ali said his assessment was based on England’s opening pair of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, suggesting Shaheen Shah Afridi could be brought in specifically with them in mind.

He added that Fakhar Zaman is expected to feature in the match.

“I think Shaheen Shah Afridi could replace Faheem Ashraf in match against England.”