Ex-Pakistan Cricketer Gives Scathing Reply To Shadab Khan's "We Beat India" Claim

Former Pakistan cricket team star Basit Ali took aim at all-rounder Shadab Khan for his comments on criticism from ex-players following the loss against India in the T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan were outplayed completely as the Salman Ali Agha-led side slumped to a 61-run loss in the group stage match against India in Colombo. The defeat resulted in massive criticism from former cricketers with some calling for players like Shadab, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi to be dropped from the team. However, Shadab responded by taking a sly dig at the former cricketers and pointed out that they were unable to register a single win against India in World Cups. Pakistan's only win in World Cups against India came in 2021 at the T20 World Cup and Shadab was a part of that team. Basit was not impressed by his response and took a sly dig at him by pointing out that his statements can be seen as a taunt to Shadab's father-in-law - legendary Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

"You should not say these things to your father-in-law," Basit said on a Pakistani TV channel.

Basit went on to blast Shadab for his poor show against India and claimed that it is only against weaker teams like Namibia that he comes to bat higher up in the batting order. When it comes to comparisons between the generations, Basit said that Saqlain was a far greater player in comparison and even claimed that there are a lot of current players who are part of the team due to recommendations.

"Was Saqlain not a matchwinner? A bowler like Saqlain can keep 10 bowlers like Shadab in his pocket. The players in the 90s and 2000s did not get promoted by recommendations. They were not included in the team without any kind of performances. When it is against Namibia, you bat at No. 4 or No. 5. But against India, you concede 17 runs in an over and do not even take the field. The journalists should ask questions of the players and specifically ask him whether he is a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder. He is someone that Mike Hesson likes but under any other coach, he will not be sent so high up in the batting order," he added.

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