‘Captain protesting against his own board’: Ex-Pakistan skipper on Babar Azam vs PCB clash

Pakistan cricket has been going through a lot of turbulence owing to their below-par results in recent fixtures as well as some management-related issues. Amid this scenario, skipper Babar Azam refused to come to the ground on the second day of the third Test against England at Karachi’s National Stadium. Though the reason behind the denial was believed to be a headache, later it transpired to be a dispute with a security personnel the previous night when the cricketer was going for dinner. Now, ex-captain Rashid Latif confirmed the matter to a local news outlet and asked PCB Chief Ramiz Raja to look into it immediately.

The event reportedly occurred on Saturday night when Azam, along with a few teammates including Imam Ul Haq and Azhar Ali, were going out for dinner in a restaurant in Clifton. The players were supposed to inform the security personnel before leaving their accommodation, as per the protocol. However, a dispute arose over whether Azam had followed the procedure. The discussion supposedly resulted in a heated exchange. Evidently, Azam was solely the target of the guard’s ire, which did not go down well with him.

Latif referred to the development while predicting that the Pakistan skipper stayed back in the dressing room for the first hour of the second day’s play. During his absence, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan served as captain. According to the former cricketer, a captain protesting against his own board due to his own security concerns can’t be a good thing for Pakistan cricket.

Latif said, “Questions will obviously be asked. The reason was not given. Whoever is at fault, chairman Ramiz Raja should look into it. Someone new has been deputed in Karachi but he has to be made aware that they are here to look after the team and its players and not to trouble them. He is the captain of Pakistan team after all. This should have been looked into and I think as a protest, Babar Azam refused to step into the ground. I mean, the Pakistan cricket captain is protesting against his own board for his own security. We need to ensure this doesn’t happen.”

On the other hand, Azam’s leadership has come under scanner as Pakistan have suffered some significant setbacks recently, especially on home soil and in major tournaments like Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. They suffered a 3-0 whitewash against England in the Test series.

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