There is a war of words between Babar and Shaheen after Pakistan's Asia Cup 2023 exit
The Pakistan team led by Babar Azam, despite starting their Asia Cup 2023 campaign on a good note, could not keep up with the momentum and were knocked out of the super four stage. The team was pegged back by the injuries of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah too. Though they fought till the end, Pakistan could not go over the line as victors in a well-contested match against Sri Lanka and were shown the door. The loss to Sri Lanka would rankle the team for a long time, as it was one of the biggest tournaments before the ODI Cricket World Cup in 2023.
To make matters worse, according to a report by the Pakistani media, Pakistan team captain Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were engaged in a war of words after the defeat to Sri Lanka. According to the report, after the loss, Babar questioned the role of the senior players in the Asia Cup 2023 campaign. However, Shaheen interrupted him and said he should not generalize and not criticize those who did well. In response, Babar said that he is well aware of who is doing well and who is not. The report further added that Babar went to the press conference after the loss and, on his way to the hotel, did not talk to anybody.