Why is Shaheen Afridi not playing in PAK vs NAM T20 World Cup 2026 game? Report points Pakistan's bold move
Pakistan have dropped star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for their must-win T20 World Cup 2026 clash against winless Namibia in Colombo as they fight to secure a Super Eight spot. The Men in Green have made two changes from the side that lost to India.
Pakistan have left out their star bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi for their must-win T20 World Cup 2026 group stage clash against Namibia at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, on Wednesday, February 18. The Men in Green have still not qualified for the Super Eight stage and are in a must-win territory now.
They lock horns against a winless Namibian side as they look to make their way into the next round. However, the Men in Green have made two changes to the team that lost to India by 61 runs in Colombo for their Namibia fixture.
Why is Shaheen not playing in PAK vs NAM T20 World Cup clash?
There could be several reasons combined which made Pakistan drop Shaheen Afridi from their Playing XI. One is that the Men in Green decided to bring in an extra batter as they also left out Abrar Ahmed and brought in wicketkeeper batter Khawaja Nafay and bowler Salman Mirza.
Another reason is that Shaheen was not in form and had gone for big runs in the India clash and picked only one wicket.
Was Shaheen informed a day before that he will not play?
Meanwhile, a report in ESPNCricinfo pointed out that Shaheen might have been informed a day before the Namibia game that he would not be playing the clash against Namibia, as he was seen venting his frustration during the practice session on Tuesday.
The report stated that the speedster was swinging his bat 'andhadhun' to vent out his anger after probably being told that he would not play the Namibia clash. His performances have been below par so far.
Pakistan opt to bat against Namibia
Coming to the clash against Namibia, Pakistan have opted to bat. Skipper Salman Ali Agha confirmed that the team has made two changes and has strengthened the batting. "We are going to bat first. We have played two games here. It is a good pitch. We just want to score above par and put them under pressure with the scoreboard pressure. (little bit of pressure on you?) Not really, we have been here like previously as well. And when you come to the World Cup like this, you have fixtures like that. You pretty much have to win every single game and we are ready for the game," Salman said at the toss.
"(batting needs a lift) Yeah, yeah, the batting has just been a concern for us. We need to bat well. We have batted well against USA. We need to do the similar kind of performance today as well. We've got two changes. Salman and Nafay are playing. Shaheen and Abrar are missing out," he added.