Amid Pakistan's World Cup crisis, PCB issues statement
The Pakistan Cricket Board released a bizarre statement in the middle of Pakistan's horrid World Cup campaign, hinting that the captaincy of Babar Azam could be jeopardized if the team fails to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC tournament in India. Pakistan have four points from five WC matches, having lost consecutively to archrivals India, Australia, and Afghanistan.
The captaincy decisions of Babar drew harsh criticism from a number of former international Pakistan cricketers, including Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi, and Misbah-ul-Haq. The PCB clarified that captain Babar and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq were given the freedom to select the World Cup squad.
PCB said in a statement that, "Addressing the media scrutiny directed at captain Babar Azam and the team management, the board's stance, echoing that of former cricketers, is that successes and defeats are part of the game. Captain Babar Azam and Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq were given freedom and support in forming the squad for the ICC World Cup 2023.