‘Entire team united’: Zaka Ashraf brushes aside reports of rifts in Pakistan squad

• Zaka Ashraf regrets Pakistani cricketers being underpaid. 
• PCB chief says had no conversation with skipper Babar Azam. 
• Pakistan players to be allowed to play one league besides PSL.
  

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf on Monday brushed aside the reports of discord within the national squad, saying that there was no conflict between the team members.

“The entire team is united. Cricket enemies are making up baseless stories,” Ashraf said while talking to media in Bahawalpur.

It is pertinent to mention that team’s below-the-par performance recently in the World Cup 2023 had ignited rumours about an “internal rift” inside the national squad that led to consecutive failures for the team in the showpiece event. 

Earlier, PCB had also “strongly” denied the speculations about any internal discord in the national cricket team. 

Ashraf said that he had invited former chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq — who stepped down last month from his post after conflict of interest allegations — for a meeting but he resigned from the post before it.

He reiterated that the Pakistani cricket team is cohesive, saying that there was no dispute between the players.

He then expressed his best wishes for the national squad.

The PCB chief also said that there was a proposal that the Pakistani cricketers will be allowed to play only one league apart from the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Appreciating the players, Ashraf said that the Pakistani openers put up a great show in the previous match of the World Cup 2023.

He then regretted that the Pakistani cricketers are relatively underpaid. “Our cricketers get very little money.”

The PCB chief further stated that he had no conversation with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.

Speaking about Pakistan’s representation in India after many years, Ashraf said that seeing a huge national flag in Ahmedabad cricket stadium during the World Cup match with the arch-rivals on October 14.