Image Source: TOI
[Saba Sports News] The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shown its disapproval following interactions by ex-captain Babar Azam and the current T20 national captain Shaheen Shah Afridi with fans on ‘X,’ the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Despite the enthusiasm from over 20,000 fans in Babar’s session and about 4,000 in Afridi’s, the PCB is reportedly unhappy with these engagements, which were apparently organized by the players’ agents without board consent.
An insider at the PCB indicated that these online interactions might lead to a reevaluation of the rules binding centrally contracted players, particularly due to concerns over sparking controversies. This discontent comes amid ongoing disputes between the PCB and its players over social media use and permissions for participating in foreign T20 leagues.
“The PCB will look to revisit some of the clauses that the centrally contracted players need to adhere to,” a source revealed. The clauses covering the social media activities of contracted players are now being reviewed again by the board because it is concerned such public Q and A sessions could result in unnecessary controversies,”
With the PCB undergoing its fourth leadership change since December 2022, there’s a push for more stringent oversight on player media engagements.
“Every PCB chairman has tried to run the board in his own way and in some cases, even ignored the written clauses of the central contracts and given special permissions to players in the past 12 months,” added the source.
The new Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, is seeking to understand the current central contracts better and is reviewing past player interviews and social media posts to potentially update the board’s media policy.
This move aims to prevent future public relations issues and streamline communication strategies within the PCB.