Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @CMZakaAshraf
Ex-PCB chief Zaka Ashraf denies dressing room divisions amid the team’s decline.
Ashraf also refuted allegations that appointing Shaheen Shah Afridi as T20 captain and Shan Masood as Test captain after the 2023 ODI World Cup caused any rift within the team.
“There were no differences between Babar Azam or Shaheen even after I decided to have the latter as the T20 captain,” Ashraf said
“No, the unity didn’t end (after removing Babar Azam as captain). In fact, the unity improved. When we told him to play as a player, which is his talent, but as a captain, his performance is not good, he agreed.”
Shaheen Shah Afridi was removed as the national T20I captain after a single series in New Zealand and was also dropped from the second Test against Bangladesh last week due to poor form.
New PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi reinstated Babar Azam as T20I captain, despite Babar’s struggles with form and heavy criticism following Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in this year’s T20 World Cup.
Zaka Ashraf defended his decisions to appoint Shan Masood as Test captain and Mohammad Hafeez as team director.
“Hafeez is ‘a very honest man’ and no, there was no grouping. The team was good. And, we brought Shan Masood as the captain. He was a very good captain. He is still a very good player. He is still a captain in England’s counties. And, I made Shaheen Shah the captain of the T20I team. That was also a very good decision,” he said.
“Mohammad Hafeez is an excellent cricketer and a very honest person, we brought him along. Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, and these players, we brought them along so that the coaching staff is with the team,” he added.
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