Why Shaheen Afridi ‘misbehaved’ with coaches?
Pakistani cricketer Shaheen Shah Afridi recently found himself at the center of controversy due to his conduct during Pakistan’s tours of Ireland and England before the T20 World Cup 2024.
The incident came to light after Senior Manager Wahab Riaz and Team Manager Mansoor Rana were dismissed from the selection committee.
Insiders revealed to The Asian Mirror the details of an altercation that took place during a practice session at Headingley.
Batting coach Mohammad Yousuf criticized Shaheen for delivering too many no-balls.
In response, Shaheen curtly told Yousuf, “Let me practice for now and don’t talk in the middle.”
This led to a heated exchange between the two.
Also read: Captaincy controversy: Shahid Afridi wants Shaheen Afridi to focus on cricket
Following the confrontation, the team management reprimanded Shaheen, who subsequently apologized to Yousuf in front of the team.
The management then considered the issue resolved.
Reports of Shaheen’s inappropriate behavior on other recent tours had surfaced, but no disciplinary action had been taken at the time.
This lack of action is believed to have contributed to the decision to remove Riaz and Rana from their posts, as they were responsible for maintaining discipline within the team.
The PCB is now investigating why no action was taken against Shaheen despite his misconduct.
Also read: “Major Surgery,” Good bye to Wahab Riaz from PCB selection committee
Additionally, the investigation is looking into factionalism among the players, which is said to be affecting team cohesion.
Coaches have also highlighted a non-serious attitude among some players in their reports, noting that internal conflicts are damaging team morale.
Players reportedly speak against each other, further disrupting the team environment.
Rise Above 🦅 pic.twitter.com/m3CDKNFnpS
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) July 11, 2024
In response to these issues, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has restructured the selection committee for the men’s team.
The new committee will include the head coaches of both white-ball and red-ball formats.
Notably, Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten will join the committee alongside Mohammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq, and the respective format captains.
