Following Pakistan's exit from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar launched a fierce critique of the team management. Declaring the current setup as completely directionless, Akhtar posed tough questions. Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the match held at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, but could not surpass New Zealand in the net run rate equation. England and New Zealand secured places in the semi-finals from Group 2.
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Pakistan posted a formidable score of 212/8 against Sri Lanka. To advance to the semi-finals, they needed to win by at least 65 runs, but this did not materialize. Sri Lanka's captain Dasun Shanaka scored an unbeaten 76 runs, while Pawan Ratnayake contributed a 58-run innings. Although Pakistan won the match, the margin was not large enough to surpass New Zealand in net run rate.
On PTV Sports show 'Game On Hai', Shoaib Akhtar stated, "Absolutely clueless. Pakistan management is completely clueless. By selecting the right team today, they have proven that the lineup during the entire tournament was wrong.' Akhtar pointed out that the changes in team combination were made too late. He believes that if the right combination was chosen earlier, the outcome could have been different."
Ahmed Shehzad Criticizes Too
Former opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad, who is not currently in the Pakistani team, also raised concerns. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shehzad commented on the lack of noticeable improvement over the last three years in this setup. He stated, "Three years have passed, but instead of moving forward, the team seems to be regressing. During the Asia Cup, it was said that young players would be prepared, and the team would be strengthened. In which area has there been any improvement?"
Ahmed Shehzad also questioned the decision to change the opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan, who had put on an 84-run partnership in the Asia Cup final against India. He remarked, "The opening was going well, so why change it? There was a need to strengthen the middle order, yet no clear plan was evident there either."
Ahmed Shehzad criticized the decision to play Babar Azam at number four as well. He argued that if Babar Azam was struggling at the top order, moving him to the middle order was not a solution to the problem.
