Aakash Chopra backs Mohammad Hafeez, asks PCB to revisit their own rules

Aakash Chopra backed veteran Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez after he was reprimanded by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for criticizing the tainted opening batsman Sharjeel Khan during a Q&A session with a fan on social media recently. It so happened that a fan had asked Hafeez whether he agreed with Pak bowling coach Waqar Younis observation about Sharjeel Khan or did he reckon that a less fit player with good skills should be selected to which the veteran all-rounder replied by saying that the standards of Dignity & Pride' should be set which is way higher than any other “Extra Talent” to represent Pakistan.

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"What is my stand on this? Well, when people who have served their punishments for match-fixing or other such scandals and come back to the national side, everyone will have issues and this issue did not arise today, it has been there in the past as well and if you talk about Hafeez when Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were back (after spot-fixing scandal) and a camp was organized, Hafeez had clearly said that I am not interested in sharing the dressing room with them as they had sold my country while I was in the same team" said Aakash Chopra on his Youtube channel.

"This guy is talking sense and he has asked a pretty simple question. What is more important dignity or special talent?  Hafeez, professor, I am with you brother. Please speak your heart. BCCI have a zero-tolerance policy on this and even if the court clears that player he is not selected by the BCCI and I think that is what you need to do as well PCB. Set an example not by reprimanding Mohammad Hafeez but by revisiting your own rules", he added.

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