ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Outcry in Pakistan after defeat by India, sharp statements of veterans created uproar

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 18, 2026

After the crushing defeat of 61 runs against India, not only disappointment but also a storm of rhetoric has arisen in Pakistan cricket. After the match, Pakistani veteran players, former captains and experts openly expressed their displeasure over the team’s performance and made many strong statements, which are now in the headlines.

Big statement of Mohammad Yusuf

Former batsman Mohammad Yousuf posted on his

Unless we remove political influence and personal agendas from Pakistan cricket, we cannot return to the team we once were. This is the darkest period in our cricketing history, and my heart bleeds for it. Incompetent individuals must be removed from office and from the team.
— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) February 16, 2026

Shahid Afridi asked for big changes

Shahid Afridi said – “If I have to take a decision, I would like to drop Babar, Shaheen and Shadab from the team. All three senior players have been with the team for a long time but are not getting the results they should be getting. So now the time has come that we should take a decision to drop these three so that new players can be given a chance so that they can prepare themselves for bigger opportunities.”

Shoaib Akhtar’s sharp attack

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar even said – “Naqvi, who does not know cricket, has become the chairman of PCB. He calls Babar a superstar and he cannot win us even a single game. The biggest crime in the world is to give a big job to an incompetent and ignorant man.”

Most questions on captaincy and batting

After the defeat, most questions have been raised on captaincy and top order. Experts say that the team failed to change the strategy according to the match situation and this became the biggest reason for the defeat. Overall, this big defeat against India has raised serious questions on internal pressure, selection policy, captaincy and team management in Pakistan cricket. The continuous strong statements coming from the veterans are an indication that the demand for major changes in Pakistan cricket may become more intense in the coming days.