PCB faces heat for dropping this player for New Zealand ODIs
Former Pakistan player Mohammad Hafeez has questioned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for dropping premier pacer Shaheen Afridi from the squad for New Zealand ODIs. He raised his concerns over the pacer's career, saying that the approach was wrong.
Pakistan National Cricket Team are all set to lock horns with New Zealand in the five-match T20I series followed by the three-match ODIs. The PCB took some bold calls for both the squads and one of the notable absentees was premier pacer Shaheen Afridi.
Shaheen Afridi was named in the T20I squad but was dropped from the ODIs and it raised many speculations. This means the pacer is only part of the T20I setup as earlier he was dropped from the Tests and now 50-over format as well, which means things are not good for him.
Shaheen Afridi was dropped from the ODI team following his failure in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The fast bowler struggled big time, and his poor outing was one of the major reasons why the Pakistan National Cricket Team faced a group stage exit from the tournament and failed to win a single match.
Yes, he hasn’t been performing well in ODIs, and failure is a different issue, but this is not the right approach - Mohammad Hafeez on Shaheen Afridi
With Shaheen Afridi getting dropped, Mohammad Hafeez talked about the pacer's omission, saying that the pacer himself accepted that he was dropped. Although he admitted that the pacer hasn't done well, he said that approach to leave him out isn't good. He said:
"First, Shaheen Afridi is dropped from the Test squad, and the reason given is that he is being rested. But Shaheen himself says, ‘I am not resting; I have been dropped.’ Yes, he hasn’t been performing well in ODIs, and failure is a different issue, but this is not the right approach. First, he was removed from Tests, then from ODIs—so what exactly is Shaheen Afridi’s role now?”
The T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand will begin on 16th February. The five-match series will be a great opportunity for Shaheen Afridi to prove his worth to the team.
Also Read: Is the Pakistan Team Moving Past Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in T20I?
