Pakistan cricketer and team captain Babar Azam is currently facing match-fixing allegations. The allegations stem from a video recorded by one of Pakistan’s top journalists who directed questions at the cricketer’s recent car gift.
The Pakistan cricket team crashed out of the ongoing T20 WC 2024 after several unconvincing displays. Allegations of match-fixing against Azam from this journalist continues to pick up steam weeks after the video’s release.
However, it took quite a while for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to release a statement concerning these allegations. Fans, players, commentators, administrators, and the entire cricket community desire information about the latest controversy to plague sports in Pakistan.
Who Made the Match-Fixing Allegations Against Babar Azam?
Mubashir Lucman is a senior journalist in Pakistan and brewed serious controversy with his comments on a video against Azam. The journalist alleged that Babar Azam’s elder brother is unemployed and couldn’t have gifted the cricketer an ultra-expensive car:
“Babar Azam has got new e-Tron. He has said his brother gifted it. I wondered what does his brother do that he is gifting a Rs 7-8 crore car. I found out that he does nothing. Then somebody told me that if you lose to small teams, even then you will not get plots, cars then who will get? I told the person that these are serious allegation. He told me everyone knows who is doing what.”
Lucman’s video seems to allege that Azam and his brother are accuse of match-fixing. The allegations have not been taken lightly within Pakistan’s cricket community. Several top figures have come out to demand clarity from Lucman after his video, with other commentators opting to watch how events unfold.
How Has the Pakistan Cricket Board Responded to the Allegations Against Babar Azam?
The PCB released a statement to confirm their awareness of the match-fixing allegations against Babar Azam:
“We are fully aware of these negative comments. Criticism within the bounds of the game is acceptable and there is no objection to it. However, baseless allegations like match-fixing cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,”
Pakistan’s cricket governing body also went ahead to outline their response to these allegations. The PCB plans to demand evidence from Lucman and anyone else involved in alleging match-fixing of their team captain:
“PCB has no doubts, so why should we conduct an inquiry? Those who made the allegations should provide proof. We have instructed our legal department to issue notices to such individuals and demand evidence. If not provided, we will seek compensation for defamation. A new law in Punjab ensures that a decision will come within six months,”
The PCB seeks to put Lucman’s words to the test by demanding more information about his allegations against Azam. There is a high chance of litigation at some point on this matter.
Rashid Latif Takes a Swipe at the PCB for Initially Keeping Mum
Rashid Latif, the former captain of Team Pakistan, has always been vocal regarding issues affecting the national team. He recently went hard on the PCB for failing to protect their star player after a weighty allegation was levelled against him. Latif made his feelings known in an X (formerly Twitter) post shortly after the allegations gained momentum online:
“Pakistan’s exclusion from the World Cup has caused the biggest loss to our electronic media, which includes news channels and sports broadcasters (broadcasting rights). Those who have the broadcast rights to show the match are expecting to lose 30% to 35%. The ratings of the channels are also surprisingly low as the Pakistan team is back home and the news channels and sports channels are blaming the players and the team to keep themselves alive and the cricket board is a silent spectator.” Latif said.
The former Men in Green captain indirectly lambasted Mohsin Naqvi (current PCB head) for his lukewarm response to player issues:
“While in Haris Rauf’s case, Chairman PCB’s X message came immediately, but where a serious allegation like match-fixing was made, the entire legal department is silent and coincidentally, PCB’s CEO is a lawyer by profession. People are understanding that maybe it did not change the direction of the cannons to save itself?,”
Why is Babar Azam Facing Match-Fixing Allegations?
Babar Azam has had a terrible season so far in international competitions. Pakistan’s ODI team failed to win the 2023 World Cup under his watch after suffering humiliating defeats against arch-rivals India.
Fans have been unhappy with the team’s lackluster performance for a while. The allegations of match-fixing from Lucman seems to be getting much steam from fans’ disapproval of Pakistan’s form.
