Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has expressed his frustration with fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah following their performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches.

“The trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf failed to deliver in the 2023 Asia Cup, 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and now in the Champions Trophy 2025,” Hafeez said at a post-match analysis show Game on Hai. It is being aired on PTV Sports, Ten Sports and digitally on tapmad.

In a crucial match against archrivals India, Pakistan was handed a heavy six-wicket loss, putting their title defence in jeopardy. The Green Shirts set a modest total of 241 runs before being bowled out in the final over. India, led by a century from Virat Kohli, chased down the target comfortably with 45 balls remaining.

Post-match, Hafeez called for significant changes to Pakistan’s bowling lineup, stressing the need for improvement after the recent struggles of the pace attack.

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“Despite their evident talent, it’s clear they haven’t been able to secure victories for Pakistan in crucial matches,” Hafeez said. He urged the selectors to consider giving opportunities to other bowlers such as Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Akif Javed, and Mir Hamza, emphasising that such players are also deserving of a chance to represent their country.

In addition, the former skipper compared Babar Azam to former great Inzamamul Haq, pointing out that the middle-order batter has not been able to deliver a match-winning performance against India throughout his 10-year career.