Former Pakistan cricketers Basit Ali and Shoaib Malik have expressed strong opposition to the idea of appointing Shadab Khan as the next captain of the national cricket team, amid growing debate over leadership changes.
The discussion intensified after Pakistan suffered a narrow defeat to England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match on February 24. England chased down a target of 165 runs and secured a two-wicket victory, largely powered by Harry Brook’s outstanding century. The loss triggered widespread criticism of key performances and strategic decisions within the Pakistan team.
Many former players and analysts questioned the batting approach of senior players and highlighted concerns over Shadab Khan’s performance as an all-rounder. Critics argued that he conceded too many runs during the crucial middle overs, allowing England’s batsmen to build momentum. They also pointed to his recent inconsistent form and suggested that his leg-spin has not been effective on challenging pitches.
Former cricketer Ahmed Shehzad also criticized Shadab Khan, saying he failed to control the scoring rate when pressure was needed most. Meanwhile, reports indicating that Shadab is being considered for future captaincy have surprised many observers.
Speaking on a sports show, Shoaib Malik claimed that problems often follow Shadab Khan, both at the franchise level and in the national team. He suggested that the player tends to make independent decisions, which may create instability in the middle order. Basit Ali further opposed the captaincy idea, recalling Shadab’s previous leadership stint against Afghanistan, when Pakistan lost the series after team selection controversies.
Some analysts believe that rumors about Shadab Khan’s captaincy may have been circulated to test public reaction before making any official decision.
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