Azhar Mahmood denounces false accusations, plans legal action

In the aftermath of Pakistan's disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, Azhar Mahmood, the assistant coach of the men's cricket team, has announced his intention to take legal action against those spreading false allegations about him and the team's management.

Mahmood strongly denied the accusations that the families of players and coaching staff had traveled to the United States at the expense of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He expressed his frustration over these baseless claims, emphasizing that such misinformation is harmful and completely untrue.

“This culture of falsely accusing and misleading people to believe a false narrative is now getting ridiculous and dangerous. Speaking without evidence and misconstruing facts is a criminal offence, and those engaging in such behaviour will be dealt with through legal action,” Mahmood wrote on X. 

Mahmood criticized individuals who spread falsehoods for personal gain, such as increasing followers or attracting media attention. He made it clear that he would seek legal advice and take strict action against those who have made false allegations against him and his family. Mahmood also urged people to avoid engaging with or promoting such harmful narratives, calling for an end to the spread of misinformation in media.

“Pursuing an increase in followers and media attention by spreading falsehoods is downright unacceptable. I will be pursuing legal advice against those responsible for making these false allegations towards me and my family, and strict action will be taken accordingly. We will not be discussing this matter further on social media. I urge everyone to avoid engaging with or entertaining these harmful narratives as it is essential to put an end to such behaviour in our media culture,” he further added.

In a related development, it has been reported that Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, is also considering legal action against YouTubers and former players who have accused him of misconduct during the T20 World Cup. Babar faced significant criticism after Pakistan's early exit from the tournament, which prevented them from reaching the Super Eight stage.