The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Management Committee Zaka Ashraf called former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed for a one-on-one meeting on Friday.
According to the sources, Mr Zaka will meet the former captain in a one-to-one meeting.
Sources claim it could be an important meeting about the ongoing Babar Azam captaincy replacement and the lack of senior cricketers in the national team.
Reports have emerged suggesting that Babar Azam is set to be relieved of his duties as the team’s captain. The reports, which sent shockwaves through the cricketing community, come in the wake of Pakistan’s disappointing performance and a series of underwhelming results in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Pakistan faced three successive defeats after winning the first two games; their recent defeat at the hands of Afghanistan has become a tough pill to swallow for Pakistan cricket fans and former cricketers.
Recently, Zaka Ashraf met with ex-cricketers including Aaqib Javed, Mohammad Yousaf, and PCB Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq. The main goal of these meetings was to solicit expert advice on how to improve player development.
But this one-to-one meeting with Sarfaraz Ahmed could be crucial for the future of cricket team leadership.
It is pertinent to mention that under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Karachi Whites secured their fifth Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title after overcoming Faisalabad at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, prevailing by 456 runs on the final day of the five-day final on Thursday.
Today, a struggling Pakistan side will take on the Proteas at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
South Africa are second on the points table with 8 points from their 4 matches and a net run rate of +2.370. Meanwhile, Pakistan is 6th on the points table with 4 points from their 5 matches and a net run rate of -0.400 after successive defeats to India, Australia, and Afghanistan.
Babar Azam’s side must now win all their remaining matches and depend on the results of the other teams to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Amid speculation that Babar Azam could be sacked from the captaincy if Pakistan fails to qualify for the World Cup, the world’s number one ODI batsman will be looking to make a statement with the bat.
