Pakistan cricketing community has been abuzz with a growing controversy over leaked WhatsApp messages involving Pakistan's cricket captain, Babar Azam.
The controversy was ignited when former wicketkeeper of Pakistan, Rashid Latif, claimed that the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee, Zaka Ashraf, had been neglecting Azam's attempts to contact him through calls and text messages.
In response to Latif's claims, Ashraf vehemently denied any direct contact from Azam, stating in an interview on a local news channel, "He [Latif] says that I don’t pick up his [Babar's] call. He has never called me,”
However, Ashraf's denial was accompanied by a controversial move, as he went to great lengths to substantiate his claim by sharing Azam’s personal WhatsApp message during a live TV program.
This revelation featured a conversation between Babar and PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Salman Naseer.
Amidst this controversy, former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis took over his social media platform and expressed his strong disapproval which can be roughly translated as,
“What are you trying to do? This is pathetic! Are you happy now? Please leave Babar Azam alone. He's an asset to Pakistan Cricket,” Waqar wrote on X.
The presenter of the TV program in question, Waseem Badami, later took to social media to acknowledge the mistake of disclosing the WhatsApp conversation involving Azam.
However, the incident has raised ethical questions regarding privacy and the responsible use of personal communications.