Meeting arranged for Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen to settle ‘dispute’

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captains will resolve the alleged dispute between Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Sources told ARY News that the former captains contacted all three senior members of the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team and extended an offer to mediate between them.

Sources added that a meeting would be held at a former captain’s residence upon Shaheen Afridi’s return to the country.

For the unversed, Shaheen has been in hot water lately after reports emerged that the left-arm pacer was involved in a heated argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during Pakistan’s tour to Ireland and England ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Sources claimed that the incident occurred during Pakistan’s net practice at Headingley when Shaheen engaged in a verbal exchange with the former batter. The batting coach pointed towards Shaheen Afridi’s continuous no-balls in the nets, they added.

However, the pacer got furious and told Mohammad Yousuf to let him practice and not intervene in his bowling.

READ: ‘Report being prepared against Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan’

According to sources, Shaheen later apologised to the batting coach while the team management also reprimanded him for his misconduct.

However, the incident was termed the heat of the moment and the chapter was closed after Shaheen Afridi apologised to Mohammad Yousuf.

The left-arm pacer then posted a cryptic message amid reports regarding his altercation with coaches.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Shaheen shared a video of himself bowling in nets with the caption reading, “Rise Above” with an eagle emoji.

It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) axed former pacer Wahab Riaz from the position of senior team manager and as a member of the selection committee after Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.

Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was also sacked from the PCB selection committee.

Gary Kirsten on Pakistan team’s unity

Earlier, Pakistan white-ball coach Gary Kirsten opened a pandora box following the national team’s disastrous run in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, questioning the unity among players and fitness.

Sources told ARY News that Gary Kristen expressed his concerns over the lack of unity within the Pakistan cricket team, stating that no one supports anyone in the team, and instead, are working in isolation.

He stated that he has never witnessed such a situation in his coaching career, having worked with multiple teams in the past.

Gary Kirsten also pointed out that the team’s skill level is significantly lagging as compared to the rest of the world. “Despite playing so much cricket, no one knows which shot to play and when,” he claimed.