The historic Pallekele International Cricket Stadium witnessed a night of high drama on February 24, 2026, as England edged out Pakistan by two wickets in the 45th match of the T20 World Cup Super Eights. While Harry Brook’s sensational 51-ball century steered England into the semifinals, the aftermath in the Pakistan camp was anything but celebratory. Following the narrow defeat in the Group 2 clash, a fiery televised exchange between former captain Mohammad Hafeez and spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq has gone viral, exposing deep rifts over the team’s tactical direction and the roles of key all-rounders.
Tensions flare as Mohammad Hafeez responds strongly to Saqlain Mushtaq after England defeat
With Pakistan now staring at a near-certain elimination, the post-match analysis on a prominent TV channel turned into a battlefield. The core of the argument rested on the utility of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan. Hafeez, known for his blunt “Professor” persona, questioned whether these players were being selected based on merit or vague labels. “Is he a bowling all-rounder or a batting all-rounder?” Hafeez demanded, specifically targeting Shadab.
Mushtaq, who has previously coached the national side and is the father-in-law of Shadab, attempted to defend the duo, asserting they possess equal prowess in both departments. “Look, he is a bit of both,” Saqlain insisted.
However, Hafeez shot back with a personal anecdote to illustrate his point: “I played for Pakistan as an all-rounder. My primary job was batting. If I am not scoring, I do not need my 8, 6, or 4 overs. My captain used to tell me that if I don’t deliver with the bat, we don’t need your bowling. Nawaz’s primary job is bowling—if he can’t do that, we don’t want him.”
Critics have viewed Hafeez’s remarks as a thinly veiled jibe at Shadab’s stagnating form. This isn’t the first time the two have clashed; a similar spat occurred after Pakistan’s recent loss to India, where Hafeez blamed the senior core while Saqlain pointed fingers at the support staff.
Here’s the video:
🚨🚨 HEATED ARGUMENT BETWEEN HAFEEZ AND SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ🚨
-Saqlain is trying to defend his son-in-law
-Hafeez asking why is he in team ? What are his first priority in the team ?
• Shadab is the biggest Parchi after Babar Azam ❗pic.twitter.com/o4sm5MbhFh
— SheR•ALI (@Sher__Ali) February 24, 2026
Shadab Khan’s dismal bowling run in T20 World Cup 2026
The tension between the two legends is fueled by Shadab’s statistical decline as a frontline bowler. While Shadab provided a cameo with the bat (23 runs) against England, his bowling—his primary job, remained ineffective at a time when Pakistan needed breakthroughs to stop the Harry Brook onslaught.
Shadab’s journey through the 2026 T20 World Cup has been a rollercoaster of inconsistency. Aside from a standout performance against Namibia, his ability to contain top-tier batters has vanished:
The numbers highlight a worrying trend: in critical games against major nations like India and England, Shadab has failed to take a single wicket. As Pakistan prepares for a “do-or-die” final Super 8 match against Sri Lanka, the debate over whether the team is over-reliant on struggling all-rounders continues to divide the nation’s cricketing icons.
