Former Pakistan cricketer Atiq-Uz-Zaman recently slammed left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi for his disrespectful behavior towards coach Mohammad Yousuf during the T20 World Cup 2024. Atiq-Uz-Zaman stated that Shaheen Afridi should respect Mohammad Yousuf and follow the instructions without question.
Shaheen Afridi has faced criticism for displaying a disrespectful attitude during the T20 World Cup 2024, where Pakistan failed to advance past the group stage. He reportedly missed team discussions before key matches and had a dispute with coach Mohammad Yousuf during training, according to Geo News.
Shaheen Afridi heads the news post disastrous T20 World Cup.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could be set for a significant clash with some of the country’s top cricket stars after deciding to deny Naseem Shah a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for participation in The Hundred. This move could spark further tensions; according to a report from ESPNCricinfo, the PCB plans to restrict several all-format players from taking part in upcoming franchise tournaments.
The PCB is likely to withhold NOCs from several centrally contracted players for various franchise leagues. The Global T20 League (GLT20) in Canada, which has yet to receive an official ICC sanction, is one such tournament. It appears that key players like Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Babar Azam will not be permitted to participate, citing workload management as the primary reason.
Although these tournaments do not directly clash with any international fixtures for Pakistan, the PCB is keen to ensure their players are well-rested ahead of a busy schedule. Pakistan’s national team is set to embark on a two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting August 21, which necessitates that all-format players remain in peak condition.
Controversies and Pakistan cricket go hand in hand. There were reports of Babar Azam’s feud with Shaheen Afridi during the T20 World Cup 2022 and the former had to clarify the rumors before boarding the India flight ahead of World Cup 2023. In a fresh dispute, Afridi has reportedly had a heated exchange with Pakistan’s batting coach, Mohammad Yousuf, and the former Pakistan cricketer Atiq Uz Zaman has condemned the act.
Former Pakistan cricketer slams Shaheen Afridi for reported misconduct with Mohammad Yousuf during WT20 2024
Former Pakistan cricketer Ati-uz-Zaman was disappointed with the rumors of star speedster Shaheen Afridi’s misconduct with Pakistan batting coach and former cricketer Mohammad Yousuf.
According to a report from Geo News, Shaheen And Yousuf had a heated exchange during Pakistan’s tour of England and Ireland. Shaheen reportedly told Yousuf to mind his business when the latter informed the pacer that he was repeatedly overstepping in the nets.
Here’s what Atiq-uz-Zaman was quoted as saying by One Cricket about the incident:
“If Mohammad Yousuf bhai said that, Shaheen Afridi shouldn’t have made the comments he did. I’m not sure if he made them or not, as these are just rumors. If he did, I’m really disappointed because Yousuf Bhai is a bigger name than Shaheen Afridi. So he got to understand that there is something called respect. If the coach instructs you, you should just put your head down and try not to bowl no-ball in the nets.”
According to the reports, Shaheen Afridi later apologized for his behavior and the matter was brushed under the carpet as a heat-of-the-moment occurrence.
Jason Gillespie hinted at Shaheen Afridi resting from Bangladesh Tests
Recently while addressing the media, Pakistan’s newly appointed red-ball coach Jason Gillespie claimed that pacers like Shaheen and Naseem Shah would have their workload monitored. Here’s what he had to say about it (via A-Sports):
“Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are multi-format cricketers and also participate in franchise cricket. They cannot play every match. We will try to give them rest in relatively less important matches. Over the past year, Shaheen has bowled three times more than Mitchell Starc. How can he manage such a workload? We need to take care of him.”
This means that Shaheen could miss the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin from August 21 in Rawalpindi.