Ahmed Shehzad questions decision to drop Shaheen for second Bangladesh test

Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has voiced his discontent over the decision to exclude left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi from the squad for the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

Shehzad acknowledged that while Afridi's performances and attitude have been under scrutiny, he believes that removing him from the squad isn't a comprehensive solution to Pakistan's recent cricketing failures.

“You lost to Zimbabwe; you lost to Ireland; you lost to the USA; you lost to India; now you lost to Bangladesh. Is Shaheen Afridi only responsible for all of this?” Shehzad asked in a video posted on his 'X' handle.

The opening batter argued that Afridi should not bear the sole blame for Pakistan’s poor performances. He stressed the need for a more holistic approach to addressing the team’s issues.

“Shaheen Afridi won’t be solely responsible for all of this. So, bring all those people who were involved in all of this. Tell this country. So, it is wrong to blame Shaheen Afridi for all of this, he added.

“Yes, his performances are low, his attitude is problematic, you dropped him, that’s a good thing. But what about the rest of the people involved in all of this? What about the rest of the performances?” he questioned.

The 32-year-old also criticised the performances of Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, and also highlighted Babar Azam's recent struggles with the bat.

“What about Abdullah Shafique’s performance in the last 8 Test matches? What about Saim Ayub’s performance after 25 matches? What about Babar Azam’s performance in the last 14 Test matches? So just by barring them, there won’t be any surgery; there won’t be any Pakistan team on the right track.

There are some decisions that will have to be taken. And those people who are involved in all of this, whose performances are low, they will also have to be held accountable,” he said.

He also emphasised that the country’s cricketing system must prioritize collective responsibility over individual blame.

“Because no one is greater than cricket and the country. The country is above everything else. No matter how many people run PR, no matter how many people hide behind personal milestones, no matter how many people buy boards, no matter how much money someone invests, we know everything, he said.

“And those who are handling the helm of affairs in PCB, they also know everything. So, now the time has come that not just one person, if you really want to go in the right direction, then you will have to bring all of them to the gutter. This won’t work," he concluded.