 "Azhar Ali was a member of Sarfaraz Ahmed's Champions Trophy-winning team in 2017. Reuters")
Former captain Azhar Ali has resigned from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) national selection panel and also as the head of the youth development at the National Cricket Academy. The resignation comes just days after another former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed was appointed the director of Pakistan’s youth and Under-19 sides.
A PTI source confirmed that the resignation has indeed been tendered by Ali and that it has been accepted by the board.
Azhar was irritated with PCB’s style of working
According to the report in PTI, Ali was frustrated with the bureaucratic style of working in the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“The red-tape style of working irritated him as did the fact that some of his proposals for young cricketers grooming at the academy were not pushed forward,” PTI quoted a source as saying.
Ali played 97 Tests for Pakistan and scored 7142 runs at an average of 42.26. The long-time Pakistan No.3 in Tests also has a triple century to his name. He was also the part of the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning Pakistani side whose captain Sarfaraz’s elevation as director of the youth teams also did not go down well with Ali.
Sarfaraz’s sudden entry played a role?
PCB on Monday handed full responsibility for overseeing the Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 teams to Sarfaraz. “He is, you can say now the Director of the Pakistan Shaheens and junior team and will also travel with them abroad where required,” a PCB source had told PTI.
Azhar who was also the head of youth development for Pakistan cricket was not kept in loop before reaching the decision.
“Azhar felt that with Sarfaraz now asked to run the Shaheens and under-19 teams, a large part of his responsibilities as head of youth development had been taken away without his consent so he decided to resign,” the source added.