Ramiz Raja: “I don’t know whether he has talked about this, but Babar Azam, despite being easygoing, has very strong views on certain things. I hope he was consulted before such a step was taken”
Image courtesy of: Unsplash
Ramiz Raja has questioned if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) talked to captain Babar Azam about hiring Mickey Arthur as team director.
Arthur was appointed to the role on a part-time basis as he is also Derbyshire’s head coach. Furthermore, he will conduct many of his duties virtually.
Ramiz, who was previously chairman of the PCB, noted that Azam has strong views on “certain things” and hopes the board got his opinion before hiring Arthur.
“I don’t know whether he has talked about this, but Babar Azam, despite being easygoing, has very strong views on certain things. I hope he was consulted before such a step was taken,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently scored 130 runs in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which included a century, at an average of 43.33 and a strike-rate of 146.06.
As for the ongoing five-match ODI series, which Pakistan lead 2-0, the 28-year-old has made scores of 49 and 65.
The third ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand will be held on Wednesday in Karachi.
Pakistan squad for ODI series against New Zealand: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir