Zaka Ashraf, the former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, has vehemently denied allegations of player groupings and rifts within the national team during his tenure. Ashraf’s comments come amidst ongoing scrutiny of his decisions, particularly the appointment of Shaheen Shah Afridi as T20 captain and Shan Masood as Test captain after the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Ashraf maintains that there were no divisions between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi following his decision to appoint Afridi as T20 captain. “There were no differences between Babar Azam or Shaheen even after I decided to have the latter as the T20 captain,” Ashraf asserted.
He further claims that the team’s unity improved after Babar Azam was relieved of his captaincy duties. “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,” Ashraf explained.
However, Shaheen Afridi’s tenure as T20 captain was short-lived, as he was sacked after a single series in New Zealand. He was also dropped for the second Test against Bangladesh due to poor form. The PCB subsequently reinstated Babar Azam as T20 skipper.
Ashraf also defended his decision to appoint Shan Masood as Test captain and Muhammad Hafeez as team director. He described Hafeez as “a very honest man” and denied any player groupings. “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,” Ashraf said.
Regarding Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as T20 captain, Ashraf stated, “I made Shaheen Shah the captain of the T20I team. That was also a very good decision.”
Ashraf, who headed the interim cricket management committee from June to January, believes he made the right decision to bring in Hafeez as team director. “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.
