'Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam Not Talking': Pakistan Journalist

image-lrbr6esjShaheen Afridi and Babar Azam [X.com]

Pakistan journalist Ejaz Bakhri has claimed the senior national side stands divided since the captaincy shuffle observed within the set-up and the two big faces of the team - Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam - are not talking to each other. 

Bakhri's comments came in a video that went viral on Twitter after Pakistan's disappointing loss in the first T20I in Auckland against New Zealand under new skipper Shaheen, who, the journalist claims, is no longer in cordial terms with his predecessor Babar. 

The media person accused the two players of forging an ego clash on and off the field and blamed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf for failing to resolve the issue and reviving Pakistan's on-field fortunes. 


Journalist Claims Ego Clash Between Shaheen And Babar 

"Pakistan players are not united. Shaheen Afridi looked lost as a captain and didn’t consult with anyone when the bowlers were getting hammered by Kiwi batters," the Journalist claimed. 

The journalist also stated that Shaheen refused to involve the more experienced Babar in the team's on-field planning and kept him deep in the field to avoid interaction. 

"Shaheen placed former captain Babar Azam at deep mid-on and the two didn’t talk to each other during the game. Babar was Pakistan’s skipper and the team performed well under his leadership. There was no coordination between Babar and Shaheen. Afridi looked tense and alone." 

"I don’t know what Zaka Ashraf has done to this team. He has changed the captain, coaches and players but the team is still not winning," he added. 


Babar, who led Pakistan to the final of the 2022 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup, resigned from captaincy across formats after the team's disastrous pre-semifinal exit at the recent ICC World Cup 2023 in India. 

Soon, Shaheen was given the reigns of the T20I outfit as the former champions strive to reclaim the coveted crown come in June in the Caribbean & USA.