ABdul Razzaq was not selected for the semi-final of the World Twenty20. -Photo by AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket chiefs Tuesday ordered veteran all-rounder Abdul Razzaq to explain himself after he publicly criticised skipper Mohammed Hafeez for dropping him for the World Twenty20 semi-final.

The 32-year-old was replaced by fast bowler Sohail Tanveer for Pakistan's semi-final defeat against Sri Lanka last week, a decision which Hafeez said was unanimous.

But when the team returned to Pakistan on Saturday, Razzaq blasted the captain for acting alone.

“I was disappointed sitting outside while the team was losing the match,” Razzaq said.

“I know the team management didn't drop me, it was Hafeez who left me out. He should speak up and admit his decision.”

Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said Razzaq had breached the player's code of conduct, which forbids players from speaking to the media without prior permission from the board.

“Razzaq has violated the code of conduct and we have served him a show-cause notice. He has seven days to answer the notice,” Sarwar told AFP.

Razzaq made 22 in Pakistan's Super Eights match in the World Twenty20, his only appearance in the tournament.

West Indies beat hosts Sri Lanka in the final on Sunday to lift the trophy.

Opinion

Editorial

Privatisation divide
Updated 14 May, 2024

Privatisation divide

How this disagreement within the government will sit with the IMF is anybody’s guess.
AJK protests
14 May, 2024

AJK protests

SINCE last week, Azad Jammu & Kashmir has been roiled by protests, fuelled principally by a disconnect between...
Guns and guards
14 May, 2024

Guns and guards

THERE are some flawed aspects to our society that we must start to fix at the grassroots level. One of these is the...
Spending restrictions
Updated 13 May, 2024

Spending restrictions

The country's "recovery" in recent months remains fragile and any shock at this point can mean a relapse.
Climate authority
13 May, 2024

Climate authority

WITH the authorities dragging their feet for seven years on the establishment of a Climate Change Authority and...
Vending organs
13 May, 2024

Vending organs

IN these cash-strapped times, black marketers in the organ trade are returning to rake it in by harvesting the ...