Basit Ali accuses Babar Azam of deliberately defaming Shaheen Afridi in latest report leaks to Pakistan Cricket Board

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has alleged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is targeting Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan after the team's dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. Ali also lashed out at Babar Azam for his poor captaincy in the past few months.

Recently, Pakistan were eliminated from the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 after losing their first two matches to the USA and arch-rivals India. The loss to the USA was particularly demoralizing for the Men in Green as they were expected to steamroll their opponents given their experience in international cricket. But Pakistan suffered a narrow defeat in the Super Over.

In the next game against India, Pakistan surrendered a winning position to lose the game by 6 runs. Despite reducing India to just 119, Pakistan's batters made basic mistakes to fall short of the target. Pakistan went on to win their next two games against Canada and Ireland, but that was not enough to qualify for the Super Eight stage.

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Basit Ali puts serious allegations against PCB

According to Basit Ali, a report is being prepared against Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan by PCB to save Pakistan's ODI and T20I captain Babar Azam. Ali also suggested that if PCB should remove all three players rather than blaming just two of them.

"The report is being prepared against Shaheen Afridi and (Mohammad) Rizwan that they have formed a separate group, which is wrong. Don't put your blame on the others, otherwise, Pakistan cricket will be destroyed," Basit Ali stated.

"I'm saying this now because if it happens, then it's your mistake. If you think that (Mohammad) Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Babar (Azam) are not on the same pitch, then you remove them all together," Basit Ali stated. Don't just blame the other two and mark the third one as a hero. It will be wrong," he added.

“#BabarAzam is doing lobby against Shaheen to save himself” - Basit Ali

now Baber PR will fool nation again! heʼs doing paid agendas against #ShaheenAfridi & Shahid Afridi just to save his captaincy. exposed again! KARMA🔥#CricketTwitter #ShahidAfridi pic.twitter.com/5M1f2EA7ur

— o/¹⁰🐐|Shahid Afridiʼs era❤️‍🔥 (@LoyalAfridian10) July 10, 2024

Basit Ali questions Babar Azam's captaincy

Basit then questioned Babar Azam's captaincy since last year's ODI World Cup. He even questioned Babar's decision to give Mohammad Nawaz the last over during the 2022 T20 World Cup match against India, which Pakistan lost.

"What captaincy has Babar (Azam) done? Not even in this tournament, but from the World Cup (2023). When you gave (Mohammad) Nawaz the last over in Melbourne (against India), didn't that open your eyes? he wondered.

"What will a person feel after being removed from the captaincy after just five matches? We feel bad even when our chairs get changed on a TV show, imagine how would he feel," Basit Ali blasted PCB for sacking Shaheen Afridi after just five T20Is against New Zealand.

Babar Azam had a poor T20 World Cup 2024 from the batting point of view despite top-scoring for Pakistan. He scored 122 runs in four matches at a strike rate of just 101.66.