Ever since Ramiz Raja was sacked as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the country’s cricket governing body has undergone a series of changes over the last few weeks. While Ramiz was replaced at the helm by Najam Sethi, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was named as the interim chief selector of the side, with former cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum also joining him in the four-member panel.
The interim selection committee was quick to make their presence felt as they added three players to Test squad for the series against New Zealand, as well as the announcement of probables for the ODIs.
However, as per reports in the local media, captain Babar Azam and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq were not consulted before the announcement of the ODI squad probables.
Having said that, Babar, who addressed the media on the eve of the second Test against New Zealand, was asked if that is indeed the case.
To which, an agitated Babar replied by saying that the team is currently focusing on the ongoing series against New Zealand.
“With all that’s happening, we are trying to not let it affect the team. Our job is to play and perform. Our focus is on the series against New Zealand, not on what’s going on outside the team. If we start focussing on outside things, our performance will go down. I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about it. When the ODIs will start, we will see,” Babar replied.
Notably, the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand ended in a draw, following a pulsating final day of cricket.
