Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi on Thursday called for embracing meritocracy to uplift the Pakistan national cricket team. Expressing his thoughts, he suggested reducing the number of teams and players in domestic cricket to maintain healthy competition. Meanwhile, following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the Champions Trophy 2025, captain Mohammad Rizwan stated, “We could not fulfill the expectations of the nation.” Afridi added, “There is no excuse for these failures. However, we will strive to learn from our mistakes.”
