Is Shahid Afridi set to join the Pakistan Cricket Board? Speculations are rife after the former captain met Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-Ul-Haq Kakar in Islamabad. The Pakistan cricket team has had a mixed outing at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 so far. Babar Azam and his team began with wins over Netherlands and Sri Lanka but then four consecutive defeats followed, which dealt a severe blow to their chances of making it to the semifinals. Some of that pressure was relieved when Pakistan managed to defeat Bangladesh quite comfortably at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Mathematically still in the mix, Pakistan would need to keep playing the way they did against Bangladesh and hope that other results go their way in order to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semifinals. Can Pakistan Qualify for Semi-Final? What are PAK's Semis Chances in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023? What’s Their NRR and Current Position on Points Table?

According to a report in Geo News, Afridi was asked to take up an important role in the PCB by the caretaker PM. The report quotes Afridi, who confirmed this development to a publication named The News. He said, “I received a call from the Prime Minister’s Office Thursday and had to rush to Islamabad to meet the PM. It was really a pleasure talking to the PM on cricketing issues. He looked keen on the proper training of youth and grooming them in a systematic way so that they could go on to make a name for themselves and for the country. The 46-year-old was further quoted by The News, as saying, "I sought some time to decide on my association with the future PCB. What Pakistan cricket requires is systemic and par excellence training of the players from the start to the top level. That has not been happening in Pakistan cricket with the result that we struggle to polish the available talent and make them a real-world beater." Babar Azam Purchases Designer Sherwani From Sabyasachi Worth 7 Lakh INR for his Wedding: Report.

It has to be kept in mind that current PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf's tenure is set to end on November 4. Afridi also had recently lashed out at Ashraf while speaking on a TV show over a controversy surrounding Pakistan captain Babar Azam and his leaked chat with a senior PCB official. Rumours had also surfaced that Ashraf had not responded to the Pakistan captain's calls.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 03, 2023 05:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).