The reaction surfaced after the Pakistan Cricket Board's contemplation of replacing Shadab Khan as the vice-captain
03 April, 2023
PHOTO: AFP
For the last few days, there have been speculations in the media that the Pakistan Cricket Board is ruminating on replacing Shadab Khan, who is currently serving as the national team's vice-captain and took over as the stand-in captain in the Afghanistan series.
After the series failure, the board is thinking closely about appointing a new vice-captain for the shorter format series against New Zealand in April.
Usama Mir is likely to be announced as a possible replacement for Shadab Khan in the squad for the upcoming home series against the Kiwis.
As soon as the news loomed on social media, Pakistan cricket fans reacted to it in a rather unpleasant way. The hashtag #DestroyerNajamSethi is currently trending on Twitter, with most of them criticizing Najam Sethi - the management committee chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The bond of our Cricket Team, led by Captain Babar Azam and Vice-Captain Shadab Khan, is incredibly strong. However, the Mafia's ego is threatening to dismantle this unity.#StopDestroyingPCTUnity #DestroyerNajamSethi pic.twitter.com/20TiqaR7XU
— Ehtisham Siddique (@iMShami_) April 1, 2023
Clearly, fans are not happy with the decision to replace Shadab Khan. There are different schools of thought, but many of them stand the ground that Shadab is a crucial player in the team and plays an essential part in the team's leadership.
We Have backed our players, and we will keep supporting them—no matter who is chairman of PCB. Even if Ramiz Raja tries to put down our well-settled team, we will raise our voices against him same goes for this Patwari-minded Mafia. #StopDestroyingPCTUnity #DestroyerNajamSethi pic.twitter.com/VbxsEqTY9z
— Shaharyar Ejaz 🏏 (@SharyOfficial) April 1, 2023
Netizens are also questioning the periodic changes in the team's captaincy and squad shuffling.
Keep doing your dirty politics but this team will remain united under the captaincy of my 🐐InshaAllah #StopDestroyingPCTUnity#DestroyerNajamSethi pic.twitter.com/Qv4JqUvXF1
— Hassan (@HassanAbbasian) April 1, 2023
As of yet, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) still needs to clear its position regarding the situation, but the divided opinions among cricket fans have definitely created a controversy.
Furthermore, fans are equally concerned that such rumors and controversies before the home series against New Zealand, most notably in the World Cup year, are not a good omen.
In regard to the same controversy, former cricketer Rashid Latif has said that the current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regime is trying to punish Shadab Khan for merely speaking the truth.
In the post-match press conference after losing the second T20I against Afghanistan, stand-in captain Shadab had said, "Now everyone would have understood the importance of Babar and Rizwan."
Latif slammed the board for mentally torturing the Pakistan cricketers.
"One person is trying to speak the truth, but they [PCB] are trying to zip his lips. Disturb him so much that he leaves cricket and makes him a psycho. Why do 90 percent of Pakistan players become psycho after leaving cricket? They become psycho because of Pakistan Cricket Board," Latif said.
The hashtag #DestroyerNajamSethi is a straight-up depiction of the fact that Pakistan cricket fans are frustrated, exasperated, and angry towards the chairman and management of the cricket board. A large pool of fans firmly believes that such decisions are only an attempt to break the national team's bench and won't be in the favorable interest of the team as well as the fans.
