Karachi (4:01 AM – eyes still burning from lack of sleep while completing my Sehri, coffee mug empty, still scrolling YouTube after that Namibia high... or was it?)
Guys... yaar, come on, it's 4:01 in the bloody morning and I'm sitting here fuming over this YouTube video that's blowing up everywhere: "What happened with Babar & SHAHEEN | Can they play Super 8 or not ? | Post match analysis". Probably from one of those Geo News or ARY-style channels – raw, no-filter rants from experts dissecting our Namibia win like it's a crime scene. We smashed them by 102 runs, Farhan's ton lit it up, spinners wrecked shop, Super 8 locked... but all anyone's talking about is Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi getting sidelined. And honestly? The video nails it – these two are in deep trouble, and PCB better wake up or Super 8 will be a disaster.
Let me break this down assertive as hell because I'm tired of the excuses. The video starts with the obvious: Babar padded up at No. 4 but never got a single ball. DNB in a must-win where we piled on 199/3. Shaheen? Straight-up dropped for Salman Mirza – didn't even warm the bench, just out. The analysts (sounded like a mix of ex-players, maybe Wasim Akram vibes or Nauman Niaz ripping in) go hard: "What happened to the kings?" Babar's form is shot – that India flop (single digits, clueless shots), low strike rates dragging us down for years. Shaheen's leaking runs like a sieve (15+ per over vs India), no swing, no fire. Video pulls no punches: These guys are living on reputation, not results.
Critically? Spot on, but let's push it further. The video says Babar should've been sent in to rebuild confidence – even 10-15 balls could've sparked him. Instead, they "protected" him? Rubbish – that's code for "we don't trust you anymore." Nafay gets bumped ahead mid-innings? That's humiliating for a so-called premier batter. Shaheen benched for a newbie? Good call tactically (pace not needed on spin-friendly Colombo), but it screams doubt in his basics. Experts in the video quote Mohammed Yousuf's X post: "Time's up for Babar, Shaheen, Shadab." Harsh, but after years of "king kar de ga" hype, yeah – diminishing returns, as Mark Butcher put it in that Wisden piece they referenced.
They debate Super 8: Can they play? Video's assertive no – or at least, not automatically. Reasons? Ego overload killing the team. PCB's marketing machine keeps shoving these faces down our throats for sponsors, but form says bench 'em. Give Abrar, Usman Tariq, Nafay, Farhan real runs – the video hammers how Namibia should've been a full bench test, not a half-measure where big names lurk but don't contribute. I agree 100% – we won without them firing, imagine if we actually built depth instead of clinging to past glories.
But here's my critical twist: The video lets Shadab off easy (he defended in presser: "Can't take it to heart"), but he's part of the problem too – got panned vs India yet keeps spot. And Salman Agha's captaincy? Video praises his calls, but throwing that bottle in the dugout clip (they replayed it)? Passion or poor leadership? Overall, the analysis is fire – no sugarcoating, calls for performance-based picks. But it misses pushing PCB bosses: Drop the commodity mindset, or we'll collapse in Super 8 against England or NZ.
Yaar, at 4 AM, this hits hard. We qualified – great. But if Babar and Shaheen start Super 8 on reputation alone, we're done. Bench 'em if needed, build a real team. Watch the video yourself (search that title on YouTube – it's trending). Am I too harsh? Or is this the wake-up call?
What do you reckon – kings or has-beens? Drop your rants below.
Murtaza Moiz
CricSphere Blog
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