Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi revealed that leaving star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi out of his preferred playing XI was a deliberate move to provoke a strong competitive reaction.
Speaking on a private television broadcast, Afridi said Shaheen, also his son-in-law, was not included in the team he would have selected for the high-profile T20 clash against England.
He insisted the exclusion was a man-management tactic rather than doubt about Shaheen’s ability and skills, explaining that he fully understood how to motivate the pacer to perform under pressure.
Afridi said he deliberately used strong words to ignite Shaheen’s competitive instincts, claiming that challenging his ego directly was the only way to elicit a determined on-field response.
He added that some players respond best when their pride is tested and that he understands Shaheen’s mindset better than most, emphasizing that he would still leave him out for the next match.
Shahid Afridi said, “I wanted Shaheen to be angry with me, If you ask me again, I would still drop him in the next match. Sometimes, to unlock a player’s full potential, you have to criticise them and break their ego. And it worked brilliantly.”pic.twitter.com/JhdrQ8Vt6L
— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) February 25, 2026
Addressing accusations of post-performance justification, Afridi said he had predicted Shaheen’s reaction well in advance and even discussed the strategy with his daughter before the England match.
Shaheen responded with a fiery spell of four wickets for 30 runs against England during the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, although the Men in Green lost the match by two wickets in a tense encounter.
Earlier in the tournament, Shaheen had been dropped for matches against Namibia and New Zealand after taking only three wickets in three appearances, highlighting scrutiny over his selection in Pakistan’s playing XI.
