Babar Azam Set To Take Legal Action Against Zaka Ashraf

Babar Azam is reportedly contemplating legal action to sue those who leaked his private conversation with a senior official from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month. Pakistan’s campaign in the 2023 World Cup was rocked due to a major controversy that erupted after Rashid Latif claimed that Babar Azam had fallen out of favor with some senior PCB officials.

The former Pakistan wicketkeeper claimed that PCB officials, including CEO Zaka Ashraf, were not responding to calls and messages from Babar Azam. With the PCB officials facing the heat from the fans, Ashraf shared a WhatsApp conversation between Babar Azam and PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Salman Naseer, with a sports journalist.

The leaked chat showed Naseer questioning the former Pakistan captain about rumors surrounding unsuccessful attempts to contact the chairman. In response, Babar Azam dismissed all the rumors. But the controversy further escalated when a Pakistani news channel aired a screenshot of the chat, allegedly with permission from Ashraf. The PCB, however, had distanced itself from the controversy.

Babar Azam to take legal actions:

Babar Azam is in no mood to let the matter go and is considering legal action against the perpetrators. According to a report from Cricket Pakistan, before his meeting with the PCB head at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy (NCA), Babar Azam engaged in consultations regarding the possibility of taking legal action in response to the breach of his privacy.

In another major development, he has also stepped down as Pakistan’s captain in all formats. The star batsman took the decision after his team’s poor show in the World Cup. Pakistan finished at the fifth spot with just 4 wins and 5 losses as they missed out on the semifinal spot for the third time in a row.

“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call.I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility,” said Babar Azam.