Shahid Afridi calls out Zaka Ashraf to focus on his job

WEB DESK: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has criticised the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Zaka Ashraf and has urged him to focus on his own responsibilities.

In an interview with a private news channel, Afridi expressed his disapproval of how the PCB chief is handling matters, likening the board’s management to a club and questioning why Ashraf is reaching out to media owners to address those who criticise him.

“You [Ashraf] are the chairman of the PCB, not a club. Your role involves various responsibilities, yet you are contacting media owners and complaining about people who express opinions about you on their respective channels,” remarked Afridi.

Afridi emphasised that the PCB chairman should concentrate on his core duties and not be overly concerned with public comments about him. He stated, “You are providing others with opportunities [to criticize you]. You should not be bothered by what anyone says about you.”

Afridi also highlighted that Ashraf’s public statements about Babar Azam and other players during the ongoing World Cup were unwarranted.

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It’s pertinent to note that the PCB has faced recent controversies following the resignation of former chief selector Inzamam ul Haq and the leakage of private conversations involving Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam and a senior PCB official.

Rumors in the media suggested that Azam’s calls to the PCB chief and senior board officials were being ignored. However, the controversy escalated when a private news channel aired a screenshot of Azam’s chat with the senior PCB official, showing that Azam had not initiated the call to Ashraf.

Several former cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, criticised the channel and journalist for disclosing Azam’s private messages. Afridi pointed out that such actions were harming the reputation of the country and its players and questioned if the PCB chairman had been involved in disclosing the messages, calling it a disgraceful act.