Pakistan team’s rapid decline in world cricket which hit rock bottom after Bangladesh white-washed them in their back yard 2-0 in the recent Test series has led to severe backlash from ex-cricketers and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain, pointed fingers at the role of individuals who have held the position of PCB chairman in the recent past.
“Jitne bhi chairman aaye hain, woh tabah kar rahe hain last four years se (whoever became the chairman in the last four years has demolished Pakistan cricket)," Latif said on his show 'Caught Behind'.
Bangladesh won the second Test by six wickets at Rawalpindi, following a 10-wicket victory in the first match at the same venue. It resulted in the visitors' historic first Test series victory against Pakistan, and the way they dominated a team they had never beaten in red-ball cricket left Pakistani pundits and supporters feeling disappointed.
"Who brought him (Shan Masood) as (Test) captain? Who removed Babar Azam (from captaincy)? Who divided the Pakistan team? "So what is he doing at this juncture? Giving interviews?” Latif put former PCB chief Zaka Ashraf under the scanner.
Doubts are being raised about the team's unity, especially after the captaincy crisis, which saw Babar ousted as skipper following the ODI World Cup 2023, Shaheen Shah Afridi's appointment lasting only one series, and Masood elevated to Test captain.
Babar returned as captain for the T20 World Cup 2024, however, the team failed miserably, finishing in the group stage. Pakistan even lost to the USA in the group stage, marking their first loss in international cricket to a non-full member nation.
Zaka Ashraf appeared on Samaa TV for an interview and despite the team's poor show across formats under various captains, Ashraf refused to admit that swapping captains was a mistake.
"There were no differences between Babar Azam and Shaheen even after I decided to have the latter as the T20 captain. No, the unity didn't end (after removing Babar as captain). In fact, the unity improved. When we told him to play as a player, which is his talent, but as a captain, his performance was not good, he agreed.
He (Masood) was a very good captain. He is still a very good player. He is still a captain in England's counties. And, I made Shaheen Shah the captain of the T20I team. That was also a very good decision," Ashraf said on Samaa TV.
Latif questioned the role of former captain, coach, and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq who returned to PCB as advisor to Ashraf and also headed a cricket committee.
"Team banana kis ka kaam hai. Zaka Ashraf ka ya Misbah ka? (whose responsibility is it to make the team - Ashraf or Misbah's). When he (Ashraf) was doing everything, making a team and appointing captains, who is he blaming then - Babar?
You forcibly made Babar resign. The team started disintegrating from there itself. It was you who made Shan the captain for your own benefit, to break the team. So your team is broken now,” Latif said.
"Those who did the damage and left, how will they be held accountable? Chairman-ship should never be honorary. These guys are not audited. It should be written in the (PCB) Constitution that you (the chairman) can't appoint a captain, can't form a selection committee. You have given the entire power into the hands of a chairman. They know nothing about cricket,” Latif concluded.
