Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has joined a growing chorus of former cricketers questioning the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as India’s new T20I captain over Hardik Pandya. Despite Hardik’s impressive credentials, including leading the Gujarat Titans to an IPL title and serving as Rohit Sharma’s deputy during India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, the BCCI opted for Suryakumar Yadav. This decision has sparked widespread debate within the cricketing community.

BCCI’s bold captaincy decision

The BCCI’s choice of Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20I captain came as a surprise to many, especially given Hardik Pandya’s leadership experience and success in the IPL. Hardik was widely expected to succeed Rohit Sharma as the T20I captain. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited fitness concerns as the primary reason for preferring Suryakumar for the captaincy role. Agarkar’s statement has led to mixed reactions, with some agreeing with the focus on fitness and others questioning the justification.

“No, here they (the claims) just hand him a certificate saying he isn’t fit and there are concerns about his fitness. There are plenty of players who weren’t super fit but still became great captains. So, I think it was just an excuse. Because if Surya wasn’t around, then Rishabh (Pant) would have been the captain since you have to look at the future,” Latif said.

Additionally, Hardik Pandya lost his T20I vice-captaincy to the young and promising Shubman Gill. The selection committee explained that this decision was part of their strategy to groom young players for future leadership roles.

Rashid Latif’s criticism

Rashid Latif, known for his outspoken opinions, has openly criticized the BCCI’s reasoning. Latif dismissed the fitness concerns as mere excuses for bypassing Hardik Pandya for the captaincy. He argued that if fitness is genuinely an issue, the selectors should provide an unfit certificate for Hardik. Latif’s comments reflect a broader skepticism about the decision-making process within the BCCI.

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In a press conference held before India’s departure for the Sri Lanka tour, Ajit Agarkar addressed the media, reiterating that fitness played a significant role in the decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav over Hardik Pandya.

“Hardik’s skill-sets are difficult to find and fitness is difficult to find. we have got a bit more time and we can look at a few things. Fitness was a clear challenge and we wanted someone who was likely to be available more often,” Agarkar said.

“We have taken general feedback from the dressing room also,” he added.

Despite this explanation, the debate continues, with many former players and fans expressing their dissatisfaction with the BCCI’s choice.

During the IPL 2023, the former Pakistan captain is making fun of Arjun Tendulkar’s bowling abilities at every opportunity.

Former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif has openly questioned the Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder’s bowling style during the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), days after making headlines with his outrageous statement about Arjun Tendulkar. Arjun Tendulkar, the son of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, made his professional debut recently for Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians in the IPL, the world’s richest Twenty20 tournament.

With Arjun’s new exhibitions previously earning the consideration of fans in the IPL, previous Pakistan captain Latif has attacked the Mumbai Indians youth.

On Saturday, a Twitter user asked Rashid Latif to discuss Arjun’s bowling abilities

“Former Pakistan player Rashid Latif & quite a few cricketers may be technically right in pointing fault in the run up & delivery stride that will affect speed of Arjun Tendulkar but none of them have offered any solution. What’s the solution, coaches?”

the Twitter user asked Latif on the microblogging site.

In one of his most recent tweets on Monday, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman slammed Arjun’s bowling style and urged Sachin’s son to improve his bowling by following his advice.

“Need to improve following steps, he is so young so he can work on it,”

Latif said in his response. Latif’s bombshell tweet on Arjun has sparked a debate on social media.

The former Pakistan captain had previously asserted that Arjun’s bowling style will not be able to generate pace. As the Mumbai Indians all-rounder is still in the beginning stages of his career, Latif asserted that a biomechanical expert can assist Arjun.

Pakistan cricket always manages to make headlines for the wrong reasons, no matter what. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management change was supposed to boost cricket in the country to new heights, but many former players have questioned how the governing body is run under Najam Sethi’s leadership. Rashid Latif, a legend in Pakistan, launched a vicious attack on the PCB on Tuesday, even suggesting that the Pakistan team can now “rest in peace.”

Latif’s remarks came after the Pakistan Cricket Board declared Shadab Khan as captain for the T20I series against Afghanistan, with Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi being refreshed. Babar and Rashid’s exclusion from the T20 squad for the series prompted Latif to brutally attack the board

“Our players are featuring in ICC rankings and winning awards after a long time. Babar and Shaheen won ICC awards. They [PCB] couldn’t digest it. They said we won’t let it happen and now we are here and will make decisions. Those who never took rest and are 70 or 80-year-old and need to rest, are now deciding the fate of Pakistan cricket. You can say rest in peace Pakistan team. Our team is now resting in peace. When you bring new players, you break a team combination. Some new players, who are selected, will perform in the Afghanistan series, so will they bring back the senior players back with lesser strike rate. Media will also put pressure on them. This is the first step towards destroying the Pakistan team”

Latif said, as per Cricket Pakistan.

 “I want to congratulate Shadab Khan on his appointment as the Pakistan team captain for the series against Afghanistan. Shadab Khan has been the Pakistan vice-captain in white-ball cricket for the past couple of years and it is logical that he takes over the side in the absence of Babar Azam for the short three-match T20I tour of Sharjah.”

Najam Sethi had said, explaining his decision after the squad announcement.

“For the short Sharjah tour and to ensure continuity, we have also appointed Mohammad Yousuf as the interim head and batting coach. Yousuf has been with the national side since last year as a batting coach and has also been working in the National High Performance Centre.”

He further added.

Pakistan Squad: Shadab Khan (C), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan.