Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has said that dropping Shaheen Shah Afridi from his playing XI was a deliberate move to trigger a strong response from the fast bowler.

 

Speaking during a private TV transmission, Shahid Afridi said Shaheen, who is also his son-in-law, was not part of his preferred playing XI [against England], but he knew how to get the best out of him. “Shaheen was not in my team, but I also knew how to use him,” Afridi said.

 

He explained that he wanted to make Shaheen angry to bring out his fighting spirit. “Everyone was already talking, so I thought let me say it a bit more strictly so it hurts his ego. That is exactly what happened,” Afridi said.

 

The former captain added that if he were asked about the next match, he would still not include Shaheen in his team. “Some players need to be handled this way. Sometimes you have to crush a few egos. I understand Shaheen’s mindset very well,” he said.

 

Afridi said people might accuse him of speaking up after Shaheen’s performance, but he had already predicted the reaction at home. 

 

“I even told my daughter. She said, ‘Baba, Shaheen is not in your team.’ I told her to watch the match. If he gets any opportunity, he will not tolerate this. I played with his mind,” Afridi said.

 

He further said that he has seen Shaheen fight back in difficult situations and knows how he responds to pressure.

 

Shaheen Afridi returned figures of four wickets for 30 runs against England on Tuesday. Despite his spectacular spell, Pakistan lost the match by two wickets.

 

Earlier in the tournament, Shaheen was dropped for matches against Namibia and New Zealand. Before being left out, he had taken only three wickets in three matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup.