Shahid Afridi assailes Zaka Ashraf for treating PCB like 'club'

"Stick to your own business," former Pakistan team captain advises PCB top official

By Web Desk
|
November 01, 2023
Former Pakistan team captain Shahid Afridi (left) and PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf. —AFP/PCB/File

Former star cricketer and Pakistan team skipper Shahid Afridi on Tuesday lambasted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf for treating the board like some random "club".

Afridi, while speaking on a private news channel, questioned why the PCB management committee chief was"calling media house owners about people who are talking against him?"

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"You [Ashraf] are the chairman of the PCB and not of some [random] club. You are supposed to handle a lot of things [but you are] calling owners of media houses and complaining about people saying this and that [on their respective channel] about you," the ex-skipper said.

"You are the PCB chairman. People are saying things because you are giving them the opportunity [to do so]," he added.

The star all-rounder stressed that the PCB chief should stick to his own business and said: "You are giving others opportunities [to come after you]. You should not heed what anybody is saying about you."

"You are giving [unnecessary] statements about Babar and other players [at a time] when the [Pakistan] team is playing the World Cup," he said.

It is pertinent to know that the PCB, in recent days, has been engulfed in controversies following the resignation of now-former chief selector Inzamam ul Haq, and Green Shirts' skipper Babar Azam's private chat with a senior PCB official being leaked.

For days, rumours were circulating in the media that the PCB chief and senior board officials were not returning calls from Azam.

However, the controversy arose after a private news channel aired the screenshot of the skipper's chat with a senior PCB official, showing the former denying calling Asraf in the first place.

Former cricketers, including Afridi, had lambasted the host and journalist for leaking Azam's chat.

"We are defaming our own country and players ourselves. How can you show someone's private messages? Did the chairman tell the journalist? If the chairman did so, it's a very disgraceful act," Afridi said.

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