Faisal Iqbal: “To save further humiliation, first sack Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan [and] Usman Khan”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan batsman Faisal Iqbal has called for a major shake-up in the T20I squad, urging that Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan be dropped from the side.
All four players have come under scrutiny for their lack of consistency, with Faisal particularly pointing to their performances at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
After observing the quartet’s struggles, Faisal believes they no longer deserve a place in Pakistan’s T20I line-up right now.
“To save further humiliation, first sack Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan [and] Usman Khan,” he said on X.
Pakistan are now preparing for a two-Test series against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
Azam has been picked and reappointed as Test captain, while Afridi was dropped. Shadab has not played Test cricket since August 2020, and Usman is yet to make his Test debut.
After touring the West Indies, Pakistan will travel to England to play three Tests from August 19 to September 13.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Pakistan Squad for England Test series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah