The Pakistan cricket team, its players, and the board remain constant targets of social media attacks. Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 has seen the team being criticised severely by fans and former cricketers. Even some ‘defamation’ statements have been issued against Babar and his team. Amid this ‘targeted campaign’, reports have emerged suggesting ‘legal action’ will be taken against those who have launched an unwarranted attack on Babar Azam & Co. Many YouTubers and former cricketers, who accused Babar of ‘misconduct’ during their campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup, have been issued a warning. Amid such reports, veteran Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shahzad has doubled down his attack at Babar and the Pakistan team.
“Former players that he (Babar) is talking about, they should also file a case on him asking when you had a team for 5 years, where have you brought the team, to the 7th spot,” Shahzad said on a Pakistan TV channel.
Unfazed by the ‘legal threat’, Shahzad said that questions should be asked from Babar over the decisions he made over the last few years that have seen Pakistan lose multiple global events.
“The domestic cricketers whom you didn’t select for the team, you went ahead with one group, kept on saying that this group will win you matches, but that didn’t happen, and those domestic cricketers who didn’t get a chance in the past 5 years, they should also file a case and ask questions. They should also ask Babar how you kept adjusting your friends in the team, who you turn into bowlers when they can’t bat, turn into batsmen when they can’t bowl, and when they do nothing, you adjust them by making them fielders.”
Shahzad even asserted that those players who criticised Babar in the past are now rubbing shoulders in the same team with him.
Then you (Babar) should ask that the people who used to criticize you are now in the team, you are their captain, then your sentiments didn’t get hurt? Then the selectors who 3 months ago used to say that you don’t know captaincy, you are not captaincy material, now you are saying ‘yes yes’ to them, then your sentiments didn’t get hurt? There also you should have filed a case.”
Ahmed Shehzad criticized Babar Azam for filing a defamation case against ex-players. pic.twitter.com/2RgHB5825O
—(@CallMeSheri1) June 22, 2024
It has been said that the PCB’s legal team is looking for ways to reprimand those who defamed Babar and the Pakistan team during the World Cup.
To this, Shahzad retoreted, “After losing 3 World Cups, 2 Asia Cups, you (Babar) were made captain again after 2 months, you should have asked the question how you were made the captain? Is it only you whose sentiments are getting hurt, not of the fans? We always tell the public the truth, we don’t body shame anyone, we don’t even take wrong names, we talk only about cricket, Pakistan cricket. What have you done? You always try to find an escape route.”
“Even great players like Messi and Ronaldo, who have a huge fan following, are criticized. Even the effigies of Messi were burnt recently, shoes were hurled at their photos. But they are sportsmen, they take all this in their stride. You should also take the criticism positively, but instead you are saying you will file defamation cases against former cricketers. We were also criticized, so much that we didn’t get the third match after two bad matches. We didn’t say anything to anyone. You get paid to do well. Even the cameraman here has a job to do, even if he doesn’t do it properly, he is also answerable,” Shahzad concluded.
