'Babar Azam fully behind the selections' - PCB CEO dismisses reports of Babar being unhappy with T20 World Cup squad

Ever since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squad for the T20 World Cup, reports started circulating that Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is not happy with some players being selected for the showpiece event. It was reported that Babar Azam wanted veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik in the squad for the T20 World Cup but the selectors ignored his opinion and instead selected youngsters like Azam Khan and Sohaib Maqsood. 

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However, PCB CEO Wasim Khan has issued a clarification on the matter and said Babar is completely satisfied with the squad.

“It has come to our notice that factually incorrect reports are circulating about the Pakistan national squad environment. The squad for the upcoming international assignments has been announced and our captain Babar Azam is fully behind the direction that is being taken,” said Wasim.

“It is important that collectively we get firmly behind the squad so that they have the stability, backing and focus they need prior to going into the ICC T20 World Cup next month,” he added.

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Several media outlets also reported that Babar even expressed his dissatisfaction about the squad to the set to be PCB chairman Ramiz Raja. While Wasim admitted that the players met Raja, he said the meeting was held to discuss the brand of cricket that needs to be played going forward.

“On Tuesday afternoon, some of the players had a healthy and positive meeting with former Pakistan captain and member of the PCB Board of Governors, Ramiz Raja, in which there was a consensus on the brand of cricket that needs to be played in the upcoming series and beyond,” he concluded.

This is not the first time such reports have emerged. Earlier, before Pakistan’s tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe, several reports stated that Babar was unhappy with the Pakistan squad and had told the PCB that he won’t be accountable for Pakistan's poor show on the tours.

Here’s Pakistan’s squad for T20 World Cup: Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Azam Khan, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood.