Zaka Ashraf justifies decision to depose Babar Azam as captain, refutes Shahid Afridi’s claims

Zaka Ashraf, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has defended his decision to remove Babar Azam as captain following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup in India. Ashraf refuted claims made by former captain Shahid Afridi, who alleged that he had suggested appointing Muhammad Rizwan as the white-ball captain instead of his son-in-law, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

In a press conference in Lahore, Ashraf stated, “Shahid (Afridi) never recommended Rizwan as captain to me for the white-ball formats.” He also clarified that Afridi never pushed for Babar to step down as captain across all formats after the World Cup.

Ashraf revealed that he advised Babar to continue as the red-ball captain but to relinquish the white-ball captaincy to ease the pressure on him. Babar ultimately decided to resign from all captaincy roles voluntarily, seeking advice from his father and agent.

Following the World Cup, Shan Masood was appointed as the Test captain, while Shaheen Shah Afridi’s tenure as the white-ball captain was short-lived, lasting only one series. Ashraf criticized the decision to remove Shaheen so quickly, questioning why Babar was given more time as captain compared to Shaheen.

During his time as interim chairman from June 2023 to January 2024, Ashraf faced controversy over alleged unconstitutional decisions regarding coach and selector appointments. Despite the backlash, Ashraf stood by his choices and defended his actions during his tenure at the PCB.