Afridi made major mistakes in mega events: Bowling coach Azhar Mahmood

National cricket team’s bowling coach Azhar Mahmood said that former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi committed many mistakes in mega events, according to reports.

In an interview, Mahmood alleged that some players playing only for themselves. There is no passion in them to play for the country, he added.

He further said that players do not work hard during the practice session and if they are dropped from the squad, they start considering the captain and coach their foes.

There is no groupism in the team, in fact, our cricketers are not good enough, he added.

Azhar Mahmood further said the ‘dressing room’ is full of negative thinking.

The remarks by the bowling coach came few days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Sarfraz Ahmed as the new captain of the T20 team after Shahid Afridi stepped down following his side’s humiliating early exit from the World Twenty20.

A statement on the PCB website described Ahmed — who led the Quetta Gladiators to the final in Pakistan’s first-ever franchise-based T20 league in February — as a “natural choice” for the position.

Read more: ‘World T20 disaster was a collective failure’: Mohammad Hafeez

“I spoke to Sarfraz this morning and conveyed to him that he was our natural choice for this position. His appointment is open-ended. I wish him good luck in his new role,” it quoted PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan as saying.

Ahmed, a right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman who has played 21 T20 internationals and the same number of Test matches, as well as 58 one-day internationals, said he will invoke the team’s fighting spirit.

“We will play good cricket,” the 28-year-old told reporters after his appointment was announced.

He showered praise on the outgoing captain Afridi, subject of some of the most scathing criticism in the wake of the team’s performance in India.

“I haven’t seen a megastar like Afridi in my cricketing career. He has served Pakistan cricket for 20 years,” Ahmed said.

Head coach Waqar Younis resigned Monday following Pakistan’s disastrous performance in the World Twenty20.

The 2009 champions were widely criticised for a lacklustre performance in India, with just one victory against unfancied Bangladesh and big losses to India, New Zealand, and Australia.