Muhammad Asif slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for appointing Mohammed Hafeez as the Director of the Pakistan Cricket team.
The former batsman has been tasked to rejig the current setup and usher in the changes after Pakistan's dismal performance in the World Cup. He will be the coach of the team and will have a major say in appointing the new support staff of the team for the upcoming tours to Australia and New Zealand.
This is Hafeez's second coming in the Pakistan cricket set-up as he was earlier part of the technical committee along with Misbah-ul-Haq and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
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“I am honoured and excited to take on the role of Team Director for the Pakistan Cricket Team. I would like to thank PCB for trusting my abilities and giving me this challenging responsibility,” Hafeez said after the appointment.
“But, I am committed to work collaboratively with the coaching staff and players to contribute to the team’s success. Together, we will strive for excellence and bring happiness for our passionate fans,” added Hafeez.
Hafeez, having retired from international cricket in January of the previous year, now assumes a new role in the team.
However, his appointment has been slammed by former Pakistan pacer Muhammad Asif.
What did Muhammad Asif say?
"Someone resigns in Sep (September) from (the) technical committee and is hired back as director of cricket cum head coach in Nov? Under this chairman (Zaka Ashraf) PCB is left with zero credibility and authority to run its affairs," he wrote on X.
Someone resigns in Sep from technical committee and is hired back as director of cricket cum head coach in Nov? Under this chairman PCB is left with zero credibility and authority to run its affairs.
— Muhammad Asif (@MuhammadAsif_26) November 17, 2023
Winds of change are sweeping Pakistan cricket as Babar Azam has been axed with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood was given the responsibility as captains in T20s and tests respectively.
Questions have been raised over Shahid Afridi's involvement in the decision of captaincy changes. Shaheen Shah Afridi is the son-in-law of Shahid Afridi. Shahid Afridi, while being on a show on SAMAA NEWS, denied all claims of his involvement in choosing his son-in-law as Pakistan T20 Captain.
What did Shahid Afridi say about his involvement in the decision-making of Pakistan captain?
Shahid Afridi spoke with clarity about his role in the Pakistan Cricket Board. The 46-year-old denied any involvement in the decision-making of the newly-appointed captains. Afridi stated that it was entirely the decision of Mohammad Hafeez, along with the PCB Chairman.
Even the PM Sahab asked me about the captaincy issue. I even told him, that it would not be wise to sack Babar (Azam) off his duties as captain in Tests. If need be, elect (Muhammad) Rizwan as captain. I have been an advocate of this for sometime now.
Even while speaking to the PCB Chairman, Afridi stated that his view remained the same. He gave his reasoning behind Muhammad Rizwan being his first choice to replace Babar as captain.
What next for Pakistan?
After an early exit from the ODI World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Team will change their focus on the red-ball cricket. The Men in Green are scheduled to face Australia in a three-match Test series, on away soil.
The first Test starting from December 14, will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
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