PCB chief Zaka Ashraf caught in a new controversy with his alleged audio leak

PCB chief Zaka Ashraf has been caught in a new controversy with his alleged audio leak.

An alleged audio clip of two minutes and 15 seconds duration surfaced online featuring a voice resembling that of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf can be heard talking to an unidentified woman about matters about the recent changes made in the team’s leadership, apparently about Babar Azam’s change of captaincy.

 

The latest audio leak features a conversation involving three people including the PCB Management Committee chairman and two other unidentified individuals who can be heard discussing matters about the national side.

The conversation between an unidentified woman and Ashraf is based on a discussion about the influence of friendship and players’ agents in the team.

“We have seen how the captain prefers to play his close friends, there was no place for Shadab Khan [in the World Cup],” the unidentified woman can be heard saying.

“Pakistan cricket is deteriorating because of this,” Ashraf replied.

Another unknown individual in the audio clip said: “Hasan Ali also played because of the same reason [being Babar’s friend].

To which the unidentified woman replied: “No, Hasan played because Naseem [Shah] wasn’t there.”

Zaka Ashraf then talks about an agent named Talha, saying that he has eight players in his control so much that he even visits their homes to build great relationships.

Zaka Ashraf said, “There is this guy named Talha. He is a player agent. He has controlled eight players of the national team. He has signed contracts with the players […] he is such a smart guy that he has built a lot of relationships with the players’ families by going to the players’ houses, and the players can’t move without him. Talha Osmani, I think I don’t know what his name is.”

He then added that he offered Babar Test cricket captaincy, but he said he needed to take his family’s advice, in reality, however, he wanted to call Talha.

“I had told Babar that you should keep the Test captaincy, I am thinking of removing you from the white ball. He [Babar] replied, ‘Well, I will discuss this at home, and then I will tell you my decision’. Babar called Talha and consulted him, and Talha advised him to leave everything,” Zaka Ashraf claimed.

Zaka Ashraf then revealed that he already had a “plan B” prepared should such a situation arrive, and when Babar confirmed he would step down across formats, he called that person and said: “Chal bhai, ab tu captain hai. (Come, now you are the captain)”.

The unidentified woman was confused so she asked who the captain wondering if it was Shan Masood, to which Ashraf replied, “No, it is Shaheen Afridi,” after which the woman questioned whether Mohammad Rizwan the best option.

“I liked Rizwan a lot but he too was involved with Babar and Talha,” Zaka Ashraf argued.

The unidentified woman added: “But Shaheen is under the control of Shahid Afridi, his father-in-law and he interferes a lot,” to which the unknown person sitting there said, “This much [interefence] is very common”.