Pakistan's exit from the T20 World Cup 2026 has sent the Pakistan cricket into frenzy. The Men in Green needed to win by 65 runs against Sri Lanka, but only sealed a 5-run win after Dasun Shanaka's heroics. Much of the criticism was labelled at the bowlers, particularly Shadab Khan who endured a wretched run in the tournament.
In two overs, Khan conceded 33 runs in Pallekele. With the bat, he could only add 7 after being promoted to No.4. Despite his struggles, Pakistan legend, Saqlain Mushtaq defended his son-in-law, comparing his performances to Mitchell Santner and Axar Patel.
"Santner ki kya performance hai bowling. Kitne out kiya hai? Axar Patel ke kitne out hai? (How many wickets does Mitchell Santner, Axar Patel have?)" Saqlain said on live TV.
Mushtaq is known to no criticise his son in law in his work as a pundit. He had a heated debate with former cricketer Mohammed Hafeez, who questioned the role of the all-rounders in the side.
Hafeez had then argued that neither Nawaz nor Shadab should have no place in the XI if they cannot be relied upon to fulfil their primary roles. Saqlain on Saturday hit back suggesting that while Hafeez has a point, there are some all-rounders who are pure all-rounders.
It was a must-win game for Pakistan, but the situation was more complicated because of the Net Run Rate (NRR) rule. Even though Pakistan put up a strong total earlier, they had to defend it by a certain margin. Sri Lanka's steady batting ensured they crossed the required score, which ended Pakistan's chances.
