• Pakistan cricket has been in the spotlight following a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.

  • Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi has been accused of misbehaving with white-ball coach Gary Kirsten.

Fans react as Shaheen Afridi faces allegations of misconduct with Pakistan white-ball coach Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten and Shaheen Afridi (Image Source: X)

Pakistan cricket has been in the spotlight following a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, where losses to the USA and India saw them fail to progress to the Super 8 stage. This poor performance has led to significant scrutiny of team captain Babar Azam, who had recently taken over from Shaheen Afridi.

Leadership under fire: Babar Azam and selection committee changes

The fallout from the World Cup failure has extended to leadership and management changes within the Pakistan cricket setup. Babar, who succeeded Shaheen Afridi as captain, has been heavily criticized by former cricketers for his leadership. In response to the debacle, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made the bold decision to remove former cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz from the selection committee, signaling a broader shake-up in the team’s structure.

Shaheen Afridi’s misconduct allegations

Adding to the turmoil, Pakistani speedster Shaheen has been accused of misbehaving with white-ball coach Gary Kirsten and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood during recent tours. Several media reports from Pakistan, including Geo News, suggested these incidents occurred during Pakistan’s tour of Ireland and the T20 World Cup. Despite these serious allegations, team managers reportedly took no action against Afridi, prompting the PCB to launch an investigation into why the pacer was not disciplined for his inappropriate behavior.

“Shaheen misbehaved with the coaches and management during recent tours but no action was taken by the team managers on the pacer’s inappropriate behaviour. Maintaining discipline in the team was the responsibility of the managers which is why it is being investigated why action was not taken against Shaheen despite misbehaving. The board is also probing players who have lobbies and the benefit that is being gained from it. Sources have further said that the team’s coaches have complained to the PCB chairman about the non-seriousness of players and disciplinary violations in recent tours,” the report stated.

Frustration over discipline and unity

The alleged misconduct by Afridi has highlighted deeper issues within the Pakistan team, particularly around discipline and unity. According to sources, coaches have expressed frustration over the lack of discipline among some players during the tours. Kirsten, in particular, has been vocal about the lack of unity in the squad and has criticized the team’s fitness standards, emphasizing the need for players to prioritize “fitness and unity.”

Also READ: ‘It depends on..’: Shahid Afridi shares his blunt take on Gautam Gambhir as Team India’s new head coach

Leadership shifts and future prospects

Shaheen’s tenure as captain of Pakistan’s white-ball sides was brief and turbulent. After Babar stepped down following a poor ODI World Cup 2023 performance last year, Afridi led the team but faced significant challenges, including a 4-1 defeat in a T20I series to New Zealand in January. This led to Babar being reinstated as captain before this year’s T20 World Cup.

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Also READ: Wahab Riaz reacts after PCB sacks him as chief selector following Pakistan’s poor show in T20 WC 2024

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