Cricket

Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Afridi's captaincy has come under scrutiny following Lahore Qalandars' dismal performance in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). After leading the franchise to consecutive titles in the previous two seasons, Shaheen has failed to inspire his team this year. Lahore Qalandars have won only one match and are languishing at the bottom of the points table.According to Cricket Pakistan, Shaheen is likely to lose his position as captain of Pakistan's T20 team. The report suggests that Shaheen, at 23 years old, is too young to handle the responsibility. "PCB's new chairman Mohsin Naqvi has been receiving suggestions for a change in captaincy. Some believe that 23-year-old Shaheen is too young for this responsibility and needs more maturity," the report states.Pakistan is scheduled to face New Zealand in a T20 series next month, and the decision on Shaheen's future as captain will be made by Naqvi before then, with the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind. However, some board members believe that changing the leadership close to the World Cup could negatively impact the team's performance.Mohammad Rizwan is a potential candidate to replace Shaheen as captain, with former skipper Babar Azam also in contention. Shaheen took over as Pakistan's T20 captain after Babar stepped down following the ODI World Cup last year. Babar had relinquished his role after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament.Shaheen led Pakistan in a five-match series in New Zealand earlier this year, but the visitors lost the series 1-4. Meanwhile, Rizwan and Babar will aim to guide their respective PSL franchises to the title. Rizwan's Multan Sultans finished the group stage at the top of the table, while Babar's Peshawar Zalmi also qualified for the playoffs. Babar is the leading scorer in the tournament with 498 runs in nine matches.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has joined the chorus of criticism against Lahore Qalandars skipper Shaheen Afridi's decision to promote himself to No. 5 in the batting order during Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches.Inzamam's criticism comes after Afridi's quickfire half-century off 28 balls against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday. However, the former captain expressed concern that Afridi and Abdullah Shafique had used up too many deliveries, preventing the team from posting a higher total."This partnership between Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen Afridi... if you look at the scorecard, then it looks very impressive, scoring 55 off 34 balls and the other scoring 59 off 39 balls. But the scorecard doesn't do justice to it. They played all the overs - almost 14 - and all you could take the total to was 167, whereas it should have been 200-plus," Inzamam said.Inzamam also questioned Afridi's decision to bat at No. 5, arguing that it was not beneficial for the team, especially when there were specialist hitters like David Wiese and Sikandar Raza available."Shaheen coming in to bat at No. 5 but scoring at that pace is not good for the team. When you have specialists such as David Wiese and Sikandar Raza, the score could have been better," Inzamam said.Afridi's decision to bat at No. 5 has also drawn criticism from legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram. After Afridi's dismissal for only 1 against Karachi Kings, Akram said that Afridi needed to be told that he had not yet become an all-rounder."Shaheen scored 1 off 3, while Raza scored 22 off 16 & Wiese 24 off 9. They took the score to 177. It's not mandatory that if you are captain you have to come out to bat. Observe the situation & whether there are better players & hitters in the dugout. If Shaheen had done that maybe they would have made 190," Akram said.

Shaheen Afridi and Wasim Akram: A Tale of Two LegendsThe Pakistan cricket fraternity has been abuzz with a captivating narrative involving two legendary figures: Shaheen Afridi and Wasim Akram. The saga began when Akram, a former Pakistan captain and one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, criticized Afridi's batting prowess after the latter promoted himself up the order in a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match.Akram's comments, which suggested that Afridi should focus on his bowling rather than batting, sparked a response from the young pacer. In the following match, Afridi struck a blistering 34-ball 55, batting at number 5, and celebrated with a pointed "shut up" gesture, widely interpreted as a retort to Akram's criticism.The drama continued as Akram further criticized Afridi's bowling in the death overs, highlighting his inability to execute effective yorkers and slower cutters. Akram emphasized that batsmen have become accustomed to Afridi's tactics and are now better prepared to counter them.Afridi's struggles in the death overs were evident in a crucial match against the Quetta Gladiators, where he conceded a last-ball six that resulted in a six-wicket defeat for his team. Akram's analysis of Afridi's bowling technique and his suggestion that the young pacer needs to adapt to the evolving game have sparked a debate among cricket experts and fans alike.While some have defended Afridi, arguing that he is still a young player with immense potential, others have echoed Akram's concerns, emphasizing the importance of versatility and adaptability in modern cricket. The ongoing narrative between Afridi and Akram has become a fascinating subplot in the PSL, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the tournament.