Babar Azam-led Pakistan side is yet to get knocked out of the World Cup 2023 semi-final race but the controversies around team selection, and leaked conversations do not seem to be dying down. After Inzamam-ul-Haq stepped down from the post of the chief selector, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launched an investigation to ascertain the allegations of conflict of interest in the Pakistan team including captain Babar, Mohammad Rizwan, and others during the World Cup.
“Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set up a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations in respect of conflict of interest reported in the media pertaining to the team selection process,” PCB said in a statement.
“The committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the PCB Management in an expeditious manner,” the statement read.
However, PCB’s recent statement contradicts what they said in another statement a week back when there were reports of disagreement in the dressing room.
Here’s the full statement:
The Pakistan Cricket Board strongly denies recent speculations about any internal discord in the national cricket team currently participating in the ICC World Cup 2023.
Contrary to rumours circulated by a certain section of the media, the PCB unequivocally assures that the team is cohesive and there is no evidence to support these unsubstantiated claims.
The PCB is disappointed by the dissemination of false news and emphasises the importance of upholding journalistic ethics before spreading such allegations.
Pakistan head coach’s controversial statement
Meanwhile, Pakistan players are gearing up for their must-win clash against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens on October 31. On the eve of the clash, Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn said lack of experience in Indian conditions is one of the reasons behind the dip in performance.
"We are in a position that we didn't want to be. We are determined at this stage of the tournament to be in control of our destiny but we're not. That hurts the group," he said in the pre-match press conference.
"This tournament is on foreign conditions for us. None of our players have played here before. Every venue is a new one, including this one," he added.
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