Ahead of the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and West Indies which started today, the Men in Green faced backlash after rumours of an alleged altercation surfaced online between speedster Shaheen Afridi with skipper Salman Ali Agha and coach Mike Hesson during training in Florida.
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Notably, Pakistan cricket in the recent past have had issues with leadership in both the management and the team and it was speculated that something similar has transpired.
To give some context, Shaheen was previously named as Pakistan’s T20I captain after Babar Azam’s resignation back in 2023 but was removed shortly after disappointing results. Furthermore, he was briefly dropped from the short-format side and missed both the home and away series against Bangladesh earlier this year before making a return against the Windies.
On the other hand, Salman Ali Agha took over T20I captaincy in March from Mohammad Rizwan. Meanwhile, Hesson replaced interim coach Aqib Javed in May, who had taken over the role after the premature departures of Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie.
However, while the reports on social media hinted at an issue with the leadership, it failed to mention the exact reason behind the rift between two senior players. But with the news spreading like wildfire, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were prompted to step in and clarify.
The PCB put out an official media release on their website and labelled the allegations as ‘baseless’ and fabricated’.
The statement read, “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) categorically denies the baseless, fabricated, and defamatory allegations currently being circulated on social media pertaining to an alleged incident involving Shaheen Afridi, team captain Agha Salman, and a member of the coaching staff.”
It added, “The PCB affirms that no such incident has occurred at any point during training or practice sessions. These malicious rumours are entirely fictitious and appear to have been deliberately concocted with clear malafide intent to sow discord within the national squad.”
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Speaking about the WI vs PAK T20I series opener, the visitors registered a 14-run win with Shaheen taking a solitary wicket after giving away 27 runs in his quota of four overs on his return to the T20I setup.
Pakistan batted first and put up 178/6 in 20 overs, courtesy of Saim Ayub’s quickfire fifty (57 off 38 balls) and crucial cameos from Fakhar Zaman (28 off 24 balls) and Hassan Nawaz (24 off 18 balls). In response, the hosts managed 164/7 and handed Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
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