The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi, has come out in support of captain Babar Azam following criticism from the media. Azam has been in great form recently, but struggled to score runs for his franchise Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League. Despite this, Sethi has backed Azam as captain and urged others to do the same for the sake of the national team.
Sethi took over from Ramiz Raja as PCB chairman and is currently dealing with a rift between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the hosting rights for the Asia Cup 2023. Reports suggest that India will play their matches on a neutral venue, while Pakistan will host the other countries.
Sethi shared his views on Twitter, stating that he had sought the opinions of the selection committees headed by Shahid Afridi and Haroon Rashid. Both committees concluded that Azam should remain as captain, and Sethi has publicly supported this decision. He also stated that he will be guided by the selectors, director cricket ops, and head coach going forward.
In conclusion, Sethi urged everyone to support Azam and not make the matter controversial for the sake of the national team.
