Pakistan cricket is in turmoil. Babar Azam-led Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 campaign is not over yet but back home politics has begun already. After former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif claimed that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf is not picking up Babar Azam’s call, the latter’s WhatsApp chats got leaked. The leaked chat with PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer has irked former Pakistan cricketers. After Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi has bashed the media and even the PCB chairman if he has got a hand in it as well.
“I saw Rashid Latif reporting that there is a tiff between Babar Azam and Zaka Ashraf. To counter those reports in this way was uncalled for. Why did Shoaib Jatt bring it up? Did the chairman ask him to do so?” said Afridi.
“(Main yeh kahunga yeh ghatiya harkat hai) It is a pathetic move. If it has been done by PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, then it is very sad. How can you leak someone’s private messages, that too of captain Babar Azam. It is the board that is defaming our players.”
Pakistan have lost four matches in a row after two wins in Hyderabad. Their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals hang by a slim thread. They will face Bangladesh in their next clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on October 30.
Earlier in the day, Waqar wrote a message on his X account, formerly know as Twitter, "Ya kya Karna ki koshish kar raha ho aap loog??? This is pathetic !!! Khush ho gaya aap loog. Please leave @babarazam258 alone. He’s an asset of Pakistan Cricket.”
The channel has since offered their sincere apologies for leaking the chat.
Earlier, there were also reports that Babar would be sacked as captain from all three formats if Pakistan return home without qualifying for the semi-final stage. It was also reported that the lobbies are already in place for different candidates to take over as captain. Sarfaraz Ahmed who recently led Karachi Whites to the Quaid-e-Azam title is one of the top candidates to don the captaincy hat after the World Cup.
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