Former Pakistan Cricket Board president Zaka Ashraf has defended his decision to sack Babar Azam as captain after India’s disappointing ODI World Cup. Xhaka also denied claims by former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi that he advised him to appoint Mohammad Rizwan as white-ball captain instead of his son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar was recently reappointed as white-ball captain, while Shaheen was sacked after just one series as team leader.

“As far as I know, Shahid (Afridi) never made a suggestion to me to appoint Rizwan as the white-ball captain,” Xhaka told the media in Lahore.

Shahid has claimed on television and in interviews many times that he never wanted Shaheen to be captain and, in fact, had suggested to Xhaka that Rizwan should be the white-ball captain.

He said he never asked Babar to resign as captain for all matches after the World Cup.

“That was his own decision. When I met him I told him clearly that everyone felt that the burden of leading in all formats put added pressure on him and his performance and that he should only continue in the red-ball role Captain,” Xhaka recalled.

“I told him that the board thought it was time to try someone else in the white-ball formats because he (Babar) has got ample time in those formats in the last three years,” he added.

The former PCB chief said it was Babar’s decision to resign as captain of all formats. “He said that if he can’t captain in all the games, he doesn’t want to be the captain. He obviously took advice from his relatives, including his father and agent.” After the Indian ICC event, Shan Masood ( Shan Masood) was appointed Test captain.

Xhaka also criticized the decision to remove Shaheen as T20 captain after completing a full series.

“He has only one series to prove himself and it is unfair to him and the board should show confidence in him. I will not remove him. When you can give Babar so much time as captain, why not give Shaheen What?” he questioned.

Xhaka served as chairman of the PCB’s interim management committee from June 2023 to January 2024 before resigning after a controversial tenure in which he was accused of making several unconstitutional decisions in the way coaches were appointed and selected.

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