Published: Jan 01, 2023, 10:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 01, 2023, 10:34 AM (IST)
New Delhi: Babar Azam-led Pakistan is currently competing against Tim Southee’s New Zeland in a test series. The first test between the sides ended in a draw. Following the first test, the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam addressed the rumour of being sidelined and not being consulted by the management for deciding the ODI Squad probables.
The PCB board witnessed lots of changes in their office following the clean sweep loss in the home test series against England. Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi was appointed as Interim chief selector and his former teammates Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum joined his selection panel. This happened in a similar span when Najam Sethi replaced Ramiz Raja as the new PCB Chairman.
There was news from local media that neither Babar Azam nor the coach Saqlain Mushtaq was consulted before the announcement of the ODI Squad probable. When asked about it, Babar said “I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about it. When the ODIs will start, we will see.”
Babar Azam even talked about the change in the Pakistan Cricket Board office and its impact on the team. He said “With all that’s happening, we are trying to not let it affect the team. Our job is to play and perform. Our focus is on the series against New Zealand, not on what’s going on outside the team. If we start focussing on outside things, our performance will go down.”
