‘Release it publicly’: Saqlain Mushtaq challenges ex-PAK selector over alleged recording of him pushing son-in-law Shadab Khan’s selection originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Saqlain Mushtaq challenged former Pakistan selector Tauseef Khan to publicly release an alleged audio recording that accuses him of pushing his son-in-law Shadab Khan’s selection.
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Saqlain denied the favouritism allegations, saying he called Tauseef out of respect and threatened to release his own recordings in response.
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Shadab Khan claimed his second T20 hat-trick, this time for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the CPL, to join an elite list of bowlers.
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Furious Saqlain Mushtaq dares ex-Pakistan selector Tauseef Khan over alleged audio exposing nepotism in selection
A seething Saqlain Mushtaq has gone public with a challenge to former Pakistan selector Tauseef Khan to release an alleged audio recording that purportedly captures him lobbying for Shadab Khan’s inclusion in the national team.
This adds explosive fuel to long-standing accusations of favouritism surrounding Saqlain and his son-in-law.
Saqlain, who held influential roles in Pakistani cricket, including head coach of the national side and a position at the National Cricket Academy, has faced repeated accusations of using his influence to advance Shadab’s interests within the squad. Those conversations have circulated quietly for years.
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Now, former selector Tauseef brought them into the open on a recent chat show and alleged that he was asked for favours by Saqlain.
“He (Saqlain) doesn’t look at anyone other than Shadab. And such things they talk about… Man, there is a limit, brother! There is a limit to favouritism! Who is holding their hand over you from above? I was called on the phone and told, ‘You stay calm.’ Recording… recording – which was sent later on,” Tauseef said on the programme.
Saqlain’s response came swiftly on X, matching Tauseef’s aggression while framing the exchange as a matter of public truth-finding. He didn’t deny that a call took place, but he reframed it entirely. He called the contact respectful rather than coercive, offered his own version of events, and then threw down a very specific gauntlet.
“Mr. Tauseef Ahmed, you said you have my voice message; prove it. Release it publicly. I called you out of respect, because I respected you as a senior. Don’t lie, don’t hide, and don’t twist the facts. I have the full record too. Release yours, and I’ll release mine. Let the public hear the truth,” Saqlain wrote.
The challenge is now on the table. If either party releases their recordings, this becomes a considerably more serious episode for Pakistan cricket’s administration at a time when the PCB is already navigating its own very public crisis following the England tour disaster.
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ShadabKhancropped
Shadab’s CPL heroics shut down his critics
Whatever is happening between Saqlain and Tauseef off the field, Shadab has been doing his talking on it. During Qualifier 1 of the 2026 CPL, representing Antigua and Barbuda Falcons against Guyana Amazon Warriors, the allrounder produced a stunning 4 for 16 at Kensington Oval.
The spell included his second T20 career hat-trick, helping bowl the Warriors out for just 76 before the Falcons chased the target in 5.2 overs to book their spot in the final.
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In doing so, Shadab became only the second Pakistan bowler to claim multiple hat-tricks in T20 cricket; his first came during the 2024 Lanka Premier League for Colombo Strikers against Kandy Falcons.
Only former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Sami, who achieved three T20 hat-tricks across his career, sits above him in Pakistan’s list. Globally, Shadab became the third bowler in CPL history to take a hat-trick, after Rashid Khan (2017) and Andre Russell (2018).
Shadab’s last appearance for Pakistan came in an ODI against Australia on June 4, and he wasn’t picked for the Asian Games 2026 squad.
MORE: Shehzad slams PCB’s decision to play Pakistan international players in domestic circuit
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The Saqlain-Tauseef dispute reveals Pakistan cricket’s deeper trust deficit
At its core, this isn’t just a personal dispute between two figures in Pakistan cricket. It’s a symptom of a system where trust between selectors, coaches and administrators has broken down to the point that allegations are being aired publicly on chat shows and social media rather than resolved internally.
Saqlain’s call to publicly release the recordings tells you everything: there’s no confidence in internal processes.
MORE: Pakistan cricket turmoil continues: Naqvi to oversee crucial sackings
Whether Saqlain improperly pushed for Shadab’s selection is a question only recordings and witness accounts can answer. But the spectacle of this public back-and-forth comes at the worst possible time for a Pakistan cricket establishment already under enormous scrutiny for the England tour fiasco, the mid-series sackings, and the NCCIA investigation.
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If the PCB were functioning transparently and effectively, disputes of this kind would be handled behind closed doors with evidence and due process. Instead, they’re being played out on X and television screens, and the public is none the wiser about the actual truth. That’s the real problem.
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