Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad react after Pakistan's T20I series win over Australia

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and opening batter Ahmed Shehzad have praised the national team following Pakistan’s convincing T20I series win over Australia, sealed with a dominant victory in the second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Batting first, Pakistan posted 198-5 in 20 overs, and in response, Australia were bowled out for 108 in 15.4 overs, losing the match by 90 runs.

Afridi took to social media platform X to congratulate the team on their performance throughout the series.

"Congratulations to the Pakistan cricket team on a great performance," he wrote.

The all-rounder also singled out Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha for his leadership and form, expressing hope that the team can carry this momentum into the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, scheduled from February 7 to March 8.

"Special appreciation for the captain, Salman Ali Agha, for truly leading from the front. His form and intent are a big positive, and hopefully he continues this momentum into the upcoming World Cup. The role of the spinners will be absolutely crucial going forward, especially in pressure games," Afridi added.

Reflecting on the team’s performance and potential changes for the next match, Afridi suggested strategic adjustments and acknowledged standout individual contributions.

"The batting lineup should be adjusted in the third match; giving Nafay a chance. Also, credit to Usman Khan for his impressive batting—his confidence and shot selection stood out today," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Shehzad expressed excitement over Pakistan’s recent performance, praising the players and highlighting key takeaways from the series.

"Now this is what I call an electrifying performance by Pakistan. Congratulations to Salman and his team for an amazing series win. Salman and Saim were absolutely brilliant with the bat, and Salman nailed it at No.3," Shehzad wrote.

He also shared his thoughts on potential key players for the upcoming World Cup.

"As I said earlier, Abrar, Saim, and Usman Tariq can be our trump cards in the World Cup—they must play every game together," he stated.

The right-handed batter reflected on Pakistan’s batting situation, acknowledging ongoing challenges in the middle order but remaining optimistic.

"Pakistan is still facing middle-order issues, but fortunately we still have time to rethink our decisions. Hassan Nawaz, anyone?" he concluded.