Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’s assistant coach for the 2024 T20 World Cup, has threatened legal action against individuals peddling "harmful narratives" against him and his family.
After Pakistan’s first-round exit in the World Cup, held in the USA, numerous reports emerged raising concerns regarding the work ethic and professionalism of the team.
Mahmood has since taken to social media to confirm that he is "pursuing legal advice against those responsible for making these false allegations" towards him and his family. While he does not specify the exact allegations he believes to be false, this appears to be a reference to a specific rumour which suggested that various family members of the players and coaches had travelled to the United States at the expense of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
According to stories on social media, around 60 rooms were booked in the team hotel for extended family members of the Pakistan team despite the official travelling squad containing only 34 players. Mahmood was one of the many accused of taking his family to the USA despite being on official duty.
My Statement on False Allegations & Legal Action. pic.twitter.com/UQiWoOFZzP
— Azhar Mahmood (@AzharMahmood11) June 22, 2024
Mahmood wrote: “This culture of falsely accusing and misleading people to believe a false narrative is now getting ridiculous and dangerous. Speaking without evidence and misconstruing facts is a criminal offence, and those engaging in such behaviour will be dealt with through legal action.
“Pursuing an increase in followers and media attention by spreading falsehoods is downright unacceptable. I will be pursuing legal advice against those responsible for making these false allegations towards me and my family, and strict action will be taken accordingly. We will not be discussing this matter further on social media.
“I urge everyone to avoid engaging with or entertaining these harmful narratives as it is essential to put an end to such behaviour in our media culture.”
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