LAHORE Daily Point) — Zaka Ashraf, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), faces a fresh controversy as an alleged audio clip featuring him circulated on social media on Monday.
In the recorded conversation, a voice purportedly belonging to Ashraf reveals a backup plan in case Babar Azam decided to step down from the captaincy after the ODI World Cup 2023.
Ashraf claims to have suggested to Azam to continue as the Test skipper while relinquishing white-ball captaincy. However, Azam, according to the audio, consulted with someone named Talha instead of his family, and Talha advised him to resign from captaincy in all formats.
The PCB chief further alleges that Mohammad Rizwan wasn’t appointed as the white-ball team captain because he was supposedly connected with Talha and Babar Azam.
According to the contents of the audio, Ashraf asserts that Talha is a players’ agent with control over eight national team players. The voice claims Talha has close relationships with players’ families, even visiting their homes.
In the clip, a woman mentions that Shadab Khan’s inclusion in the team during the World Cup 2023 was influenced by his friendship with Azam, a statement seemingly affirmed by the man believed to be Ashraf.
The voice in the audio clip also suggests that Hassan Ali played in the World Cup due to his friendship with Babar Azam.
It’s important to note that the authenticity of the clip could not be independently verified by Daily Point.
