Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi engaged in heated argument after Pakistan's exit from Asia Cup: Reports
Colombo: Just a few weeks ago, Pakistan held the coveted number 1 ranking in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and were considered strong contenders for the Asia Cup 2023 title. However, their premature exit from the tournament has reportedly sparked internal discord within the team. The Pakistan cricket team, led by captain Babar Azam, finished at the bottom of the Super 4 points table with just one victory.
Reports from Pakistani media have revealed that tensions flared in the dressing room after Pakistan's defeat to Sri Lanka, sealing their exit from the Asia Cup 2023.
According to Bolnews, Babar Azam and star bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi engaged in a heated argument, necessitating the intervention of wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan to defuse the situation.
The report suggests that Babar Azam expressed his dissatisfaction with the performances of the senior players. The 28-year-old captain confronted the senior members of the team, urging them to deliver better results.
The situation escalated when Shaheen Shah Afridi interrupted Babar Azam, advising him to acknowledge the contributions of players who had performed well. Babar, reportedly irked by the interruption, asserted that he was aware of the team's performance and the need for improvement.
Recognizing the escalating tension, Mohammad Rizwan and head coach Grant Bradburn intervened to diffuse the situation. Subsequently, Babar Azam attended the press conference and later headed straight to the team bus and the hotel without engaging with other players.
To address the team's performance and plan for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India, PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf has formed a cricket committee tasked with reviewing player performances and strategizing squad selections.
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KKR land Green for record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore; Shaw, Sarfaraz go unsold
Abu Dhabi (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders splurged a record-breaking Rs 25.20 to land top Australian all-rounder Cameron Green even as Indian stars Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold in the Indian Premier League players' auction here on Tuesday.
Green surpassed compatriot Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the most expensive overseas player at an IPL auction. This was after Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings were involved in an intense bidding war for him before the latter emerged winner.
KKR also went after Venkatesh Iyer before pulling out of the race against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who fetched the services of the India all-rounder for Rs 7 crore.
As far as Green is concerned, his salary for the season would still be Rs 18 crore (USD 1.9 million) as the rest of the amount will go towards the BCCI's player development programme as per the rules of the auction for foreign players.
Green, who previously turned up for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has so far played 29 matches in the IPL to aggregate 707 runs and take 16 wickets.
Shaw, however, went unsold despite his fine run of form in the domestic circuit lately, and so was the case with Sarfaraz, who smashed a 22-ball 73 in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Mumbai on Tuesday.
Big-hitting South African batter David Miller was bought by Delhi Capitals for his base price of Rs 2 crore, but New Zealand swashbuckler Devon Conway, whose base price was also Rs 2 crore, went unsold in the auction.
Seasoned South African opener Quinton de Kock returned to his old base Mumbai Indians for a base price of Rs 1 crore.
A total of 359 players -- 246 Indians and 113 overseas players -- are part of the mini auction pool with the 10 franchises bidding to fill up a maximum of 77 slots, including 31 reserved for foreign players.
