Ex-PCB chief Zaka Ashraf defends removing Babar Azam as skipper after World Cup in India

Lahore: Former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf has defended his decision to remove Babar Azam as captain following the team's disappointing ODI World Cup campaign in India.

Zaka also denied claims from Pakistan’s former captain Shahid Afridi that he had advised him to appoint Muhammad Rizwan as white-ball captain and not Shaheen Shah Afridi who is his son-in-law.

Babar was recently re-appointed as white-ball skipper while Shaheen got the axe after just one series as the leader of the side.

“No from what I recall Shahid (Afridi) never made any such suggestion to me to appoint Rizwan as captain in white-ball formats,” Zaka told the media in Lahore.

Shahid has claimed several times on television and in interviews that he never wanted Shaheen to take up the captaincy and in fact had suggested to Zaka to make Rizwan the white-ball captain.

He said he had never asked Babar to step down as captain of all formats after the World Cup.

“That was his own decision. When I met him I told him clearly that everyone felt that the burden of leading in all formats was adding to the pressure on him and his performances and he should continue only as red ball captain,” Zaka recalled.

“I told him that the board felt it was time to try someone else in white ball formats as he (Babar) had been given ample time in these formats for the last three years,” he added.

The former PCB chief said it was Babar’s decision to step down as captain in all formats. “He said if he can’t captain in all formats he doesn't want to be captain. He apparently got his advice from his close ones including his father and agent.”

Shan Masood was named Test skipper after the ICC event in India.

Zaka also criticized the decision to remove Shaheen as T20 skipper after just one full series.

“It is unfair on him that he had just one series to prove himself and the board should have shown faith in him. I would not have removed him. When you can give Babar so much time as captain why not Shaheen,” he questioned.

Zaka headed the PCB’s interim management committee from June 2023 to January 2024 before he resigned after a controversial tenure in which he was accused of making several unconstitutional decisions pertaining to the way he appointed coaches and selectors.