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'Not the Best…,' Shahid Afridi Strongly Criticizes Pakistan After Asia Cup Exit

image-lmk7xfbxSri Lanka thrashed Pakistan out of Asia Cup 2023 (AP Photo)

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi voiced his discontent with Pakistan's lineup changes for the Super Four match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023. He criticized the team management's decision regarding the batting order, particularly in a game that was a must-win for Pakistan.

The Men in Green encountered a significant batting collapse during their all-important Super Four match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Rain interruptions further complicated the situation. Pakistan found themselves struggling at 130/5 in 27.2 overs when the match was halted due to relentless rain at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

While Abdullah Shafique contributed a valuable half-century, it was not enough to offset the struggles of key batters like skipper Babar Azam (29), Mohammad Harris (3), and Mohammad Nawaz (12). When the match resumed after the rain delay, Pakistan was in a precarious position.

However, the partnership of Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed proved pivotal as they orchestrated a remarkable recovery. Their 108-run partnership for the sixth wicket helped Pakistan reach a total of 252/7 in the allotted 42 overs, which had been curtailed due to rain interruptions.

Afridi took to his official X account to express his thoughts, questioning whether Pakistan had made the right choices in the batting order for the situation. He emphasized that, in his opinion, the batting order did not align with the demands of the game.

“Did Pakistan miss the trick? We could have made better choices in the batting order. What do you guys think? In my opinion, this was not the best batting order according to the situation,” Shahid Afridi wrote on his official X account.


One notable decision that drew criticism was the inclusion of Fakhar Zaman, who had struggled with the bat recently and wasn't even part of the initial playing XI announced earlier. Despite his recall after Imam-ul-Haq's injury, Fakhar could only manage 4 runs.

Following a DLS revision, Sri Lanka was set a target of 252 runs in 42 overs. Regardless of the efforts of the Pakistani bowlers, the defending champions secured a narrow victory by just 2 wickets, securing their place in the final match of the continental event against India. 

The final showdown is scheduled to be held at the same venue on Sunday, September 17.