Tabraiz Shamsi: “I was so surprised to see Fakhar Z(aman) on the bench for most of the World Cup… From personal experience, the man is dangerous”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi admitted Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman is dangerous and was thus shocked to see him benched for a majority of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Usama Mir: “I was surprised that the mystery spinner they picked instead of me didn’t play any matches”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Usama Mir admitted he is surprised that Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed didn’t play a single game in the 2024 T20 World Cup after taking his spot in the squad.
Mike Haysman: “No Shaheen Shah Afridi… in the conditions expected for the 2 Tests [it] sure is an interesting omission! My initial reaction is that [the] SA batsmen will be pleasantly surprised”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Renowned cricket commentator Mike Haysmen said the South African batsmen “will be pleasantly surprised” by Pakistan’s decision to exclude left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi for the upcoming two-Test series.
Imad Wasim: “Yes, I was surprised. What can I say, it’s ultimately the selectors’ call. Whatever they thought was the best option, they picked and they picked the team [accordingly]. Everybody in Pakistan was surprised, not just me”
Image courtesy of: Unsplash
Pakistan left-arm spinner Imad Wasim has admitted he was surprised that Babar Azam was named limited overs captain back in March 2024.
Shahid Afridi: “I was also a bit surprised by Hasan Ali’s selection. Maybe the selection committee thought that we need an experienced back-up bowler, but if I talk about performance, I don’t see any such performance from Hasan Ali”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has questioned the selection of Hasan Ali, saying he has seen nothing special from the veteran fast bowler as of late.
Fakhar Zaman: “What impressed me the most is what Azam Khan has done. We were not expecting him to undergo such tough training, and naturally, his physique is such that we didn’t anticipate him to take up such challenges”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan top order batsman Fakhar Zaman heaped praise on big-hitter Azam Khan, saying he was surprised by his fitness levels during a pre-season camp at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Abbottabad.
Mohammad Rizwan: “Surprised to hear about your retirement, Imad Wasim, my brother. I firmly believe you still have many years left to excel in international cricket for Pakistan”
Image courtesy of: Unsplash
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan was surprised Imad Wasim decided to retire from international cricket as he felt the left-arm spinner still had “many years left to excel.”
Shoaib Malik: “Shadab is no doubt a very good bowler, but he is struggling”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik admitted he is surprised spinner Shadab Khan is taking so few wickets right now since he is “a very good bowler.”
Umar Gul: “I was surprised when he [Amir] took retirement from international cricket”
Image courtesy of: Unsplash
Umar Gul admitted he was shocked when Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from international cricket.
Misbah-ul-Haq: “I am surprised to see that he has failed to cash his form in this PSL season. Although he has started playing according to modern-day cricket and can accelerate with a strike rate of 140-150, he hasn’t performed much in this edition”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Misbah-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan head coach and chief selector, admitted that he was shocked senior cricketer Shoaib Malik failed to live up to expectations during the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
