Cricket News

Another Controversy in Pakistan Cricket as Chairman leaks Babar Azam’s Messages on Live TV

Pakistan’s 2023 World Cup campaign has been nothing short of disastrous. The pre-tournament favourites have lost four consecutive matches and are now on the verge of elimination. Their performances in all three departments have been substandard.

Pakistan began the tournament brightly, winning their first two matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they have since lost to India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa. Their batters have been unable to convert starts, something which has cost them big time.

Their bowlers, on the other hand, have been extremely inconsistent with all the three spinners proving to be ineffective on pitches that should have ideally suited them. Pakistan’s fate is no longer in their own hands. They need to win all three of their remaining matches, but they also need a number of other results to go their way.

Internal Politics

The atmosphere around the Pakistan team has been toxic, with politics playing a role in their dismal performance. According to a Cricbuzz report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) does not want the team to succeed at the World Cup so that they can make sweeping changes after the tournament. “The board wants the team to fail, they don’t want us to win the World Cup just so that they can make the changes and take control of who leads the team and who gets into the team,” a senior player said to Cricbuzz.

Fresh Development

A few days back, a former Pakistan cricket captain alleged that the PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf and CEO have been ignoring Babar Azam’s messages. Now, in a shocking development, the PCB chairman himself has leaked Babar Azam’s personal messages on live TV. The WhatsApp conversation between PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Salman Naseer, and Babar Azam was broadcast live on television, raising serious ethical concerns.

In the message, Naseer asks Babar if he has made a call to Ashraf. Babar responded by saying that he didn’t. “Salam Salman bhai. Ma ny to sir ko koi call nai ke,” the message read. This saga is unlikely to end here. It remains to be seen whether the cricketers can weather the storm and revive their campaign.