New Delhi, June 19: Former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to conduct an inquiry into the incident in which senior players from the national team were spotted at a Shisha cafe in Manchester in the lead up to their ICC Cricket World Cup match against India.
Media reports had claimed that senior players, including Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz, along with Imad Wasim and Imam-ul-Haq were spotted at a cafe at 2 am on the big match day in Manchester.
The senior players faced severe criticism from fans on social media after Pakistan were handed their biggest-ever defeat (in terms of the margin of runs) by India in a World Cup match during the Manchester meeting. Shoaib Malik’s wife and India tennis star, Sania Mirza was dragged into the controversy after she was spotted in the photograph along with the Pakistan cricketers at the cafe.
The Pakistan Cricket Board though clarified that the players had been to the cafe not on the eve of India vs Pakistan but a couple of days ahead of the big-ticket match between the two arch-rivals.
Intikhab Alam, who had served as Pakistan cricket team manager in past, said professional cricketers staying late at a cafe in the lead up to a big match in “not justifiable”.
“It is wrong as the players are on their national duty and there must be a discipline to be followed strictly,” Intikhab Alam told DAWN.
“Though the PCB has claimed that the event happened two days before the crucial match against India, even then no one could justify the late stay of the players in a cafe as there are certain timings to be observed.
“The players could have their dinner at any hotel maximum by 11 pm not beyond that. The PCB should hold an inquiry to penalise the players involved,” the former captain added.
Responding to critics and media reports, senior batsman Shoaib Mali, who was dismissed for naught in the India match, wrote on Twitter: “When will Pak media be accountable for their credibility by our courts?! Having served my country for +20 years in Intl Cricket, it’s sad that I have to clarify things related to my personal life. The videos are from 13th June and not 15th (sic).”
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been facing flak after the one-sided contest that saw India extend their unbeaten record against their arch-rivals in World Cups to 7-0.
Slamming Sarfaraz’s tactics, former pacer Shoaib Akhtar said he was unable to understand the Pakistan captain’s decision-making during the high-pressure game against India.
“The mistakes committed by the Indian team during the Champions Trophy 2017 final were repeated by Pakistan yesterday. I can’t understand how Sarfaraz can be so brainless. How could he forget that we don’t chase very well. Knowing our strength, which is bowling, is important. The game was half-won by Pakistan when Sarfaraz won the toss, but he tried hard to lose the match,” Akhtar said.
Sarfaraz, according to Pakistan media, has received a call from PCB chairman Ehsan Mani who had asked the skipper not to focus on “baseless media reports” and instead turn their attention towards doing well in the remainder of the matches at World Cup 2019. Pakistan are reeling at the 9th spot of the 10-team points table with just 1 win in 5 matches.
