The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, ZakaAshraf, recently disclosed an intriguing aspect of the decision-makingprocess concerning the composition of the Pakistan cricket team for theupcoming World Cup. In an in-depth evaluation of Pakistan’s performance inthe 2023 Asia Cup, held at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, it wasrevealed that Babar Azam, the captain of the Pakistan cricket team,ardently advocated for the inclusion of Shadab Khan in the World Cup squad,despite the all-rounder’s lackluster performance in the Asia Cup.
According to Zaka Ashraf, Babar Azam expressed a strong desire to retainShadab Khan as the vice-captain for the forthcoming World Cup. Heemphasized that it was Babar’s personal wish that Shadab continued to servein this crucial role during the tournament. However, a condition wasattached to Shadab’s inclusion – if he failed to deliver, he would bedropped from the squad, highlighting the captain’s commitment toperformance-based selection.
The revelation emerged as part of the comprehensive review of Pakistan’sperformance in the 2023 Asia Cup, a pivotal meeting attended by PCB CricketTechnical Committee members, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez. During thisevaluation, the shortcomings exhibited by the players were meticulouslyscrutinized, with a focus on improving the team’s overall performance.
Interestingly, while Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez were strongproponents of making substantial changes to the squad due to the team’ssubpar performance in the Asia Cup, Babar Azam, in conjunction with thechief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq, leaned towards maintaining continuitywithin the squad.
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Zaka Ashraf highlighted this divergence in opinions, stating that “BothMisbah and Hafeez wanted big changes in the squad because of the team’sAsia Cup performance while our captain, Babar Azam, and the chief selector,Inzamam-ul-Haq, didn’t want to change the squad.” Ultimately, the decisionto align with the preferences of Babar Azam and Inzamam-ul-Haq was made inthe broader interest of the World Cup and the Pakistan cricket team,signaling a pivotal choice that could shape the team’s performance in theupcoming tournament.
