No matter what goes around, Pakistan cricket often manages to make headlines for the wrong reasons. The change in management at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was supposed to take cricket in the country to new heights but under the leadership of Najam Sethi, many former cricketers of the nation have raised questions on the way the governing body is being run. Pakistan legend Rashid Latif, on Tuesday, launched a scathing attack at the PCB, even suggesting that the Pakistan team can now ‘rest in peace’.
Latif’s comments came after Pakistan Cricket Board announced Shadab Khan as skipper for the T20I series against Afghanistan, with Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi being rested. Latif brutally attacked the board for sidelining Babar and Rashid from the T20 squad for the series.
“Our players are featuring in ICC rankings and winning awards after a long time. Babar and Shaheen won ICC awards. They [PCB] couldn’t digest it. They said we won’t let it happen and now we are here and will take decisions. Those who never took rest and are 70 or 80-year-old and need to rest, are now deciding the fate of Pakistan cricket. You can say rest in peace Pakistan team. Our team is now rest in peace,” Latif said, as per Cricket Pakistan.
“When you bring new players, you break a team combination. Some new players, who are selected, will perform in the Afghanistan series, so will they bring back the senior players back with lesser strike rate. Media will also put pressure on them. This is the first step towards destroying Pakistan team,” he further said, explaining his point.
Explaining his decision after the squad announcement, Najam Sethi had said: “I want to congratulate Shadab Khan on his appointment as the Pakistan team captain for the series against Afghanistan. Shadab Khan has been the Pakistan vice-captain in white-ball cricket for the past couple of years and it is logical that he takes over the side in the absence of Babar Azam for the short three-match T20I tour of Sharjah.
“For the short Sharjah tour and to ensure continuity, we have also appointed Mohammad Yousuf as the interim head and batting coach. Yousuf has been with the national side since last year as a batting coach and has also been working in the National High Performance Centre.”
Pakistan Squad:Shadab Khan (C), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan.
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