Shahid Afridi: “No one knows how these boys return to the team. What performance has Shadab Khan shown in domestic cricket?”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Legendary Pakistan six-hitter Shahid Afridi doesn’t know how spin-bowling all-rounder Shadab Khan made it back into the national team.

Shadab was appointed as Pakistan’s T20I vice-captain prior to the limited overs tour of New Zealand.

In the five-match T20I series, the 26-year-old took one wicket at an average of 143 and an economy rate of 11.

He also scored 58 runs at an average of 14.50 and a strike-rate of 131.81.

Given Shadab’s subpar performance, Afridi once again questioned on what basis the national selectors picked him.

“No one knows how these boys return to the team. What performance has Shadab Khan shown in domestic cricket?” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

After the New Zealand tour, Shadab captained Islamabad United in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and picked up 14 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 16.57 and an economy rate of 7.90.

He also amassed 173 runs at an average of 24.71 and a strike-rate of 155.85.

After PSL 10, the Mianwali native featured in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore and claimed four wickets at an average of 16.25 and an economy rate of 7.22.

Batting-wise, he accumulated 55 runs at an average of 27.50 and a strike-rate of 157.14.

Pakistan then toured Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in Mirpur, but Shadab missed it as he was recovering from shoulder surgery.

Pakistan’s next assignment will be a white-ball tour of the West Indies, where they will play three T20Is and three ODIs from August 1 to 12.

Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem

Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem

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