by: Atika Mehboob TN Sport Pakistan:
The PCB saga takes yet another turn. In a leaked audio, some gruesome details of the events that took place after early exit of the team from the recent ODI World Cup.
Under the pretense of revamping post World Cup exit, Babar Azam, the then all-format skipper of the team, voluntarily stepped down from captaincy. The reports suggested that PCB forced Azam to retire from the captaincy duties in all three formats.
Recently a leaked audio, circulating on social media, captures a conversation involving a voice resembling Zaka Ashraf and two to three other participants, including two female voices. Ashraf, or the voice attributed to him, alleges that Hasan Ali’s inclusion in the team is based on his friendship with Babar Azam.
Moreover, the recording unveils a mention of an individual named ‘Talha,’ identified as a player’s agent who reportedly signed contracts with eight agents of the national team. Notably, the agency managing players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan is led by an agent named Talha Aisham.
During the conversation, Ashraf indicates a preference for Mohammad Rizwan over Shaheen Afridi for the white-ball captaincy. However, he claims that due to Rizwan being managed by Aisham, he had to alter his plans.
These revelations cast a shadow over the transparency and fairness within the cricket board, prompting concerns within the cricketing community. The implications of these leaked audio recordings are sure to fuel further discussions and investigations into the alleged misconduct within the PCB.
