Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's alleged intimate videos, WhatsApp chats, and voice messages were found to be “fake” and the country's cricketing body, the Pakistan Cricket Board, lashed out at media outlets covering the story without verifying the authenticity of the “leaks.”
The whole saga started after a verified social media account accused Babar Azam of sexting the girlfriend of one of his Pakistan teammates. However, as the videos and audio recordings created massive shock waves across the cricket world, the Instagrammer quickly backtracked on the allegations before declaring that he was just having fun by posting satire and never meant to disgrace Pakistan's premier batter. Interestingly, he never mentioned that it was a spoof while tweeting about it on the first occasion.
Nonetheless, multiple publications, including the Australian outlet Fox News took up the story in which they raised some tough questions about Babar Azam's character.
But after the news proved to be fake, the vast legion of Babar Azam and the journalists hailing from Pakistan, slammed Fox Australia for writing about “unsubstantiated personal allegations” against “national icon” Babar Azam.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was scathing in its attack on the media outlet.
“As our media partner, you might have considered ignoring such unsubstantiated personal allegations which Babar Azam has not deemed worthy of a response,” the PCB said in a statement.
Though the allegations against Babar Azam turned out to be false this time around, a woman had hurled similar allegations at him two years ago.
In November 2020, a woman accused the premier Pakistan batter of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions.
The woman claimed that Babar Azam had been sexually abusing her for the past 10 years after falsely promising her marriage.
“I have known Babar since the time he had nothing to do with cricket. He was from a poor household. I hope all my brothers and sisters here are going to help me get justice so that no daughter gets to go through what I have. Babar and I have grown up in the same colony, we used to stay together,” the unnamed woman told media persons at a press conference.
“He was my school friend. In 2010, he proposed to me and I accepted his proposal. He in fact proposed to me after coming to my house. As time progressed, our understanding got better. We had planned to get married and informed our families too but they refused,” the woman further stated.
“Then Babar and I decided to have a court marriage. In 2011, Babar and I eloped and having promised me of marriage, kept me at rented places. During that time, I kept asking him to get married but he said ‘we are not in a position to. With time, we will get married'.”
Speaking about Babar Azam’s cricket career, the Pakistan talisman has been under fire from critics for the past couple of months following the Asian side’s continuous poor performances on the pitch.
It is Babar Azam’s captaincy that has received severe flak from all quarters after Pakistan lost four consecutive Test matches at home for the first time following England’s 3-0 clean sweep over them last year.
Their fortunes didn’t even change in the New Year as the Green Army was beaten by New Zealand in a three-match ODI series last week.
Despite Pakistan’s dismal run, the legendary Wasim Akram came out in his support, backing Babar Azam to learn from his mistakes as captain.
“Babar Azam’s captaincy is under criticism these days; in this difficult time, a strong hand of support came on his shoulder. We don’t need any enemy; we are self-sufficient; stop making fun of yourself; if you have Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, or Mike Brierley sitting next to you, then you will understand Babar Azam has a 2-3 years chance. He will prove to be the best captain,” Wasim Akram told Cricket Pakistan.
“If you had asked me, I would have told you that foreign coaches will not come; everyone is afraid that the contract will also end if the board changes. If you are not getting a foreign coach, get the services of a Pakistan, the reason for the decline in the performance graph of fast bowlers is T20 cricket,” the former Pakistan captain added.
Wasim Akram's backing though may not prove to be enough as recent reports from the Pakistani media suggest that the PCB's new dispensation led by board chief Najam Sethi is set to sack him as the national side's skipper.
The PCB is also thinking about appointing three different skippers for Tests, ODIs, and T20Is once Babar Azam leaves his post. Right now he is the all-format captain of the Men in Green.
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