Babar Azam and the Pakistan team have been accused of match-fixing in the recent T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan failed to qualify for the next stage of the tournament and was eliminated for the first time in the group stage.
Pakistan's campaign began with two losses to T20 World Cup debutants USA and former winners India. Despite winning the remaining two matches, they were unable to recover from their losses.
Senior journo Mubashir Luqman made a significant allegation against Babar, claiming that the Pakistan captain was given a high-end automobile. Babar's elder brother gave him an Audi e-Tron GT late last year. The car costs around INR 2 crore in India, but more than double that in Pakistan.
"Babar Azam has got new e-Tron. He has said his brother gifted it. I wondered what does his brother do that he is gifting a Rs 7-8 crore car. I found out that he does nothing. Then somebody told me that if you lose to small teams, even then you will not get plots, cars then who will get? I told the person that these are serious allegations. He told me everyone knows who is doing what,” he said in a viral video.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now responded to the allegations made against Babar Azam and the Pakistan team.
As per a source in PCB, the board is aware of the "negative comments", it termed the accusations as "baseless".
"We are fully aware of these negative comments. Criticism within the bounds of the game is acceptable and there is no objection to it. However, baseless allegations like match-fixing cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," said a PCB source as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
The source also responded to a question about whether PCB will investigate the team.
"PCB has no doubts, so why should we conduct an inquiry? Those who made the allegations should provide proof. We have instructed our legal department to issue notices to such individuals and demand evidence. If not provided, we will seek compensation for defamation. A new law in Punjab ensures that a decision will come within six months," the source added.