“Rest in Pease Pakistan Cricket,” Rashid Latif’s shocking remarks on PCB: No matter what happens in the sporting world, Pakistani cricket frequently manages to garner attention for the usual reasons. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) changed its management in order to elevate the sport there, but Najam Sethi’s tenure as president has led several former national players to criticize the way the organization is being operated.
Pakistan veteran Rashid Latif, on Tuesday, unleashed a stinging attack at the PCB, even claiming that the Pakistan team can now ‘rest in peace’. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come under fire from former wicket-keeper Rashid Latif for resting key players ahead of the country’s upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan later this month. The former skipper explained the stance to the media, saying that those who ought to have taken a break themselves are now making decisions that will affect Pakistan cricket.
Latif made his remarks after the PCB named Shadab Khan as the series captain for the T20Is against Afghanistan, resting Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The board was harshly criticized by Latif for leaving Babar and Afridi out of the T20 squad for the series.
He said, “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 years 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 resting in peace.”
He further explains his point and said, “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 with lesser strike rates? Media will also put pressure on them. This is the first step towards destroying the Pakistan team.”
The PCB chose a brand-new squad based on their performances in the ongoing PSL, and the veteran Imad Wasim, who has been superb for Karachi Kings with both bat and ball, also received a recall. As per Latif, when new players join the team, a combination is disrupted, and if some of those perform well and the top players come back, the situation becomes chaotic.
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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