Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja has served a legal notice to veteran wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal for his alleged ‘defamatory, false and offensive’ remarks on his YouTube channel about the Babar Azam-led side’s performance at the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan were heavily criticised by their former cricketers including greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar at various stages of the recently concluded World Cup in Australia, especially when they were on the brink of getting knocked out of the tournament from the Super 12 stage after losing their first two matches to India and Zimbabwe.
It was not clear exactly which comment of Akmal hurt PCB chief Raja, prompting him to send a legal notice but they were deemed defamatory and offensive. “I don’t know exactly what charges they have made against Kamran but apparently the legal notice has been sent because the chairman feels Kamran made defamatory, false and offensive comments in the media about him,” a source close to the developments told PTI.
If the report is to be believed then more legal notices could be sent to some other former players who have their own YouTube channels and ‘cross the line while criticising the team’s performance.’
“Some of them clearly cross the line while criticising the team, management, board and chairman and Ramiz has made it clear he is not going to tolerate anyone running down or defaming Pakistan cricket anymore,” the source said.
He said the PCB’s legal team had been told to take immediate action if any comments by any former player on his own YT channel or on television channels is found to be defamatory, offensive, personal, false and damaging to Pakistan cricket.
Even after Pakistan’s journey to the final where they lost to England, Babar Azam and Co. have had to deal with harsh words from the country’s former cricketers. Even Raja wasn’t spared as many blamed him for Pakistan’s initial struggles in the World Cup, calling for a change in the board and team management. Some event wanted Babar Azam replaced as captain, suggesting him to drop down the batting order.
