Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of targeting pacer Shaheen Afridi and wicketkeeping batter Mohammad Rizwan after the team’s harrowing run in the T20 World Cup 2024.
According to Ali, a report is being prepared to put all the blame on the pacer and the wicketkeeping batter in an attempt to save white-ball skipper Babar Azam.
“A report is being prepared against Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan that they formed a separate group, which is wrong. Do not put your blame on the others, otherwise, Pakistan cricket will be destroyed,” Basit Ali said.
The former cricket went on to say that the Pakistan Cricket Board should sack them all together if they find that the three senior players were not on the same page.
Read more: ‘Babar Azam has lost all popularity among teammates’
“If you think that Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Babar are not on the same pitch, then you remove them all together. Don’t just blame the other two and mark the third one as a hero. It will be wrong,” he added.
Ali also slammed Babar Azam’s captaincy in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024 where Pakistan were eliminated in the group stage.
They were defeated by the United States of America (USA) in their opening game, followed by a heartbreaking defeat to archrival India.
“What captaincy has Babar done? Not just this tournament, but in the World Cup (2023). When you gave the last over to Nawaz in Melbourne, didn’t that open your eyes?”, Basit Ali lamented.
The former Pakistan cricketer also supported Shaheen Afridi over his removal from captaincy only after one series.
He was removed from the captaincy and Babar Azam was reinstated as the captain of white-ball cricket just before the T20 World Cup 2024.
Last week, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi opened up on the future of Babar Azam as captain of Pakistan cricket team.
Talking to media, Naqvi said he was in contact with former cricketers and they will decide the future of Babar Azam’s captaincy.
“No decision taken so far related to Babar Azam,”said PCB chief, adding that he is seeking advice from former cricketers on how to improve cricket in Pakistan.
