Former Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi has attacked the PCB selection committee for including youngsters without any domestic experience in the Pakistan national team. This claim of Shahid Afridi has come after Pakistan lost the bilateral series against Bangladesh.
Pakistan started its campaign after the T20 World Cup with a series against Bangladesh. When the Pakistan team toured Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, they lost the first game due to abysmal batting. However, they bounced back in the second game and handed the hosts a big defeat in a rain-affected game.
However, Bangladesh were likely to win this home series as it was their chance to give themselves a leg up in the race for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. They crushed Pakistan’s confidence with an 11-run defeat in the final ODI in Mirpur.
Pakistan picks a lot of debutants for ODIs against Bangladesh
Before heading into the Bangladesh series, there were extensive changes in the Pakistan team and several senior cricketers were dropped. Veteran batsman Babar Azam was also dropped after a poor performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
It appears that Pakistan had picked a lot of their youngsters from the U19 and domestic setups who had not played too many games even in their domestic circuit. This appeared to be a foolish decision by the Pakistani selectors.
However, the PCB had announced its squad to include players like Maaz Shadakat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Abdul Samad and Saad Masood as youngsters making their debut during this Bangladesh tour. However, what was really shocking was that most of these players are relatively inexperienced even in the domestic format.
“The real surgery should be on the selection committee, not the players.” – Shahid Afridi
Former Pakistan captain and legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi criticized the PCB selectors panel for making such naive selections in such an important bilateral match after their tragic exit from the ICC T20 World Cup. This series could have been helpful in boosting the morale of these players.
Taking a dig at the selection committee, Shahid Afridi said, “The World Cup performance was in front of you; now we have also lost the Bangladesh series. According to me, I should feel pity on the selection committee. The reason is that everyone in that selection committee is so experienced, yet you all do not know who should be appointed captain of which format.”
Shahid Afridi further said, “In the name of surgery, the selection committee brought in new players who have played only a few first-class matches. Moreover, your domestic set-up is not at such a level that it can produce youngsters who can make their place in the Pakistan national team. Senior players who had performed brilliantly in ODIs have been dropped, even if they have performed well in ODIs.”
“Neither you nor your home have that level of standard, nor do these youngsters have the ability to make it into the Pakistan national team so quickly. They are getting Pakistan caps for any player they want. Shahid Afridi targeted the PCB management with his sharp comments and said that the real surgery should be done on the selection committee, not on the players.
Shahid Afridi on spot
“In the name of surgery, the selection committee brought in new players who have played only a few first-class matches. Senior players have been dropped despite performing well in ODIs. The real surgery should be done by the selection committee… pic.twitter.com/ju3jaykVJi
— Abdullah. (@Abdullah_56) 15 March 2026
After PSL, Pakistan can play test series against Bangladesh
After concluding the ODI tour in Bangladesh, Pakistan players will return to the country to host the Pakistan Super League, which will attract players from across the world for a batch of competitive franchise cricket in Pakistan over the next two months.
After the conclusion of the PSL, the next series will likely be played again against Bangladesh. They will arrive for the two-match Test series, which will be part of the WTC 2025-27 cycle. Till then, the PCB is likely to make some important changes in the coaching panel. However, the series has not been officially confirmed by either of the boards yet.
Also read: “Our brave young cricketers…”: Bangladesh PM mocks Mohsin Naqvi’s Pakistan team after spectacular ODI series win
