OF late, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf has been dogged by controversy. Not too long after Mr Ashraf shared a screenshot of a conversation between Babar Azam and a PCB official, which was aired on television, a 135-second audio — purportedly featuring Mr Ashraf’s voice — has been doing the rounds on social media. So far, the PCB has neither denied nor admitted to the leak. And while it indicates the tension between Mr Ashraf and Babar, the former all-format captain of the national team, its timing is questionable. The audio was leaked after the team lost in the opening Test against Australia, its first game under Shan Masood’s leadership. Shan was appointed Test captain after Babar resigned, following Pakistan’s exit from the ODI World Cup.

The audio leak shines a light on how the PCB chief apparently forced Babar out. In that private conversation between Mr Ashraf and members of his family, Mr Ashraf says he had an idea that Babar would not stay on as Test captain if he was not given the same role in the white-ball teams. That is why, he says, he made that offer and already had a backup in mind once Babar would announce he was stepping down as skipper from all formats. It all adds up, considering the events on the day when Babar met Zaka after Pakistan returned from the World Cup in India. Barely 20 minutes after Babar announced his decision to quit, the PCB announced Shan and Shaheen Shah Afridi as Test and T20 skippers. In the audio, Mr Ashraf also mentions that Babar had cultivated a culture of favouritism, with his close friends as part of the squad. There is also discussion on the fact that most players in the current squad are clients of Saya Corporation, an agency run by Talha Rehmani. However, Mr Ashraf seemed to have forgotten that Shaheen is also a client of the same agency, as well as Babar’s close friend. What has emerged, however, could have a profound impact on Pakistan cricket. Evidently, Mr Ashraf holds a grudge against Babar and Saya Corporation. His attempts to regularise player agents — it is being mooted that an agent can have only two players of the national team on his roster — could turn the players against him, if his actions and words have not already done so.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2023