Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi has criticized the national team’s selection policies, questioning why consistent domestic performers are being overlooked while inexperienced youngsters with limited first-class experience are being brought into the squad.
Speaking in a recent interview on a local news channel, Shahid Afridi raised concerns about what he described as a flawed approach to rebuilding the national team. He specifically questioned the frequent use of the term “surgery” to justify large-scale changes in the side.
“I was writing down a few names with you and wondering where these players have gone,” Afridi said while discussing Pakistan’s team selection.
According to Shahid Afridi, when the management speaks about restructuring the team, it often results in only a few new young players suddenly appearing in the lineup. He pointed out that many of these players have played only one domestic season or around eight to ten first-class matches.
“When we talk about ‘surgery’ in the team, what usually happens is that two or three new youngsters suddenly appear in the side,” Afridi said. “These are players who have only played one season or around eight to ten matches.”
Afridi added that introducing young players is not a problem if the selections are clearly based on performance. However, he suggested that even this does not always seem to be the case.
The former all-rounder also highlighted several domestic performers whom he believes deserve consideration for national selection. He emphasized that players who consistently perform in domestic cricket should be prioritized.
“If I share the list, the new youngsters I am referring to, the ones I called ‘choozay’, include Shahzaib Khan, who currently has the highest runs with an average of around 80,” Afridi said.
He also mentioned other players who have performed strongly in domestic cricket, including Imam-ul-Haq, Shamyl Hussain, Taimoor Khan, and Maaz Sadaqat. Afridi noted that if selections were strictly based on performance, Shahzaib would have been the first player chosen because he currently leads the run charts.
Afridi also questioned the handling of players who were previously groomed as Pakistan’s future. According to him, several players who came through domestic cricket, performed well, and even represented Pakistan at different levels now appear to have disappeared from the national setup.
“Tell me one thing, you have brought in these youngsters based on a few first-class matches, but what happened to those players who were supposed to be our future?” Afridi asked.
He pointed to players such as Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique, who were once widely considered key prospects for Pakistan’s batting future. Afridi also mentioned Kamran Ghulam, noting that at one stage some people even suggested Pakistan had found its own version of AB de Villiers.
The former captain continued by listing several other players who had earlier been regarded as part of Pakistan’s long-term plans. These included Saud Shakeel, Hassan Nawaz, Tayyab Tahir, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Hasnain, Khushdil Shah, Aamer Jamal, and Shahnawaz Dahani.
He also expressed concern about how quickly new players are being labeled as Pakistan’s future despite limited domestic experience.
“Have they expired? Have they retired?” Afridi said, questioning why players who were previously considered important prospects are suddenly no longer visible in the national setup.
Afridi concluded by asking what players who have already represented Pakistan are expected to do if strong domestic performances are not enough to bring them back into contention.
