Babar Azam has made a shocking claim and revealed that he was not informed of the radical changes in the Pakistan cricket team as well as the coaching staff ahead of the third Test against England.
The Pakistan captain claimed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told him about the decisions only after they were made.
For those unversed, the PCB made a radical move after the Babar-led team’s defeat in the second Test at Lord’s and decided to sack head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. Moreover, as many as seven players were released from the squad, which included vice-captain Salman Ali Agha, Iman-Ul-Haq, and former white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Babar claimed the developments, which left the cricketing fraternity stunned, were ‘news to him,’ but he claimed while it was a surprise for him, it was not difficult to handle.
“The PCB have made the decision. They would have done it thoughtfully, It is better you ask them.
“No, it was news for me as well. I only found out about this later. But what the PCB… I spoke to them, the PCB decided it, and I think they will be able to explain it much better, of course,” said Babar in a pre-match press conference.
“Not difficult. Yes, a surprise for us, but the new players are coming; they have a golden opportunity to grab that,” the Pakistan captain added.
On being put on the spot and asked by a reporter, Babar claimed he had no idea about the investigation launched by the PCB over improper conduct. He also reiterated that he was not involved in the decision to make the changes in the squad.
The third Test in Birmingham will start on Wednesday (September 9), with Pakistan aiming to avoid a whitewash. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson has taken charge of the side for the final game of the series.
The Asian side lost the series opener at Leeds by 194 runs while they were beaten by an innings and 104 runs in the second Test at Lord’s.