Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has openly criticized the decision to rest star players Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed for the final two Tests of the series against England. The move has sparked widespread debate, with Basit Ali particularly raising concerns about the exclusion of left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi, hinting at possible bias related to his father-in-law, Shahid Afridi.

In a recent YouTube video, Basit Ali shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the rested players. He expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Shaheen Afridi, who has been a key bowler for Pakistan, with 116 wickets in 31 Test matches. Ali alleged that Shaheen has been unfairly targeted by the selectors due to his familial connection with Shahid Afridi.

"A batting pitch was made for their benefit. It was Babar's bad luck that he was out of form and got out on such a pitch. However, the target was always Shaheen Afridi. It was because of Shahid Afridi,” Basit Ali stated, highlighting his belief that Shaheen’s omission was unjustified.

Ali also directed a message to Shahid Afridi, warning him to be careful about the people around him :

"I want to give a message to Shahid Afridi that he needs to identify his friends and enemies. Not everyone who speaks with a smile is your friend. You are not thinking about how subtly these guys work. Because you are a devotee of Allah, there's nothing to fear."

Furthermore, Basit Ali criticized the decision to send the rested players home, arguing that they should have stayed with the team, even if they weren’t playing : 

“I will see what Babar Azam's fans do now. They used to make a lot of noise. Come out, raise your voice, they have done wrong. All the three players should have remained with the team. How come you are sending them back when there are no first-class or domestic matches happening?” Basit Ali questioned.