Ex-PCB chief Zaka Ashraf opens up on Babar, Shaheen captaincy rift

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf, opened up on the rift between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi over captaincy.

Ashraf denied any rift between the two star players of the green team, saying “There were no differences between Babar Azam or Shaheen even after I decided to have the latter as the T20 captain. No, the unity didn’t end . 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.”

Defending his decision to name Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi as captains of Test and T20 side, he stated that “He (Shan Masood) 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.”

READ: Babar Azam slips out of top 10 ICC Test rankings for first time in five years

It is important to note here that Pakistan premier batsman Babar Azam has slipped out of the top 10 ICC Test rankings for the first time in five years.

Azam who slipped to 9th number from 6th due to continued failure in the red ball game slipped out of the top 10 ICC Test rankings after failing to make any impact against Bangladesh in a two-match home series.

Babar Azam managed just 64 runs across four innings in the recently concluded two-Test series against Bangladesh. Pakistan dropped to No. 8 in the latest ICC Test Rankings after a shock 2-0 whitewash at home.

On the other hand, Pakistan has dropped to eighth place in the ICC Test Team Rankings after suffering a humiliating series loss at home against Bangladesh.

This is Men in Green’s lowest rating in Test cricket since 1965.

Bangladesh recorded their first-ever series win over Pakistan with a six-wicket victory in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Chasing 185 to win, the visitors inched their way to the target for the loss of four wickets, 25 minutes before tea on the fifth and final day to complete a 2-0 series sweep

The team’s back-to-back losses to Bangladesh at home led to a two-place drop from sixth place, with a total of 76 rating points.