Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of Media and Communications Samiul Hassan has said that the sexual violence allegations against skipper Babar Azam were a personal matter and the board could not comment on it.
According to Jang, the board’s spokesperson was responding to a question posed by the Urdu daily after a damning press conference by one Hamiza of Lahore, who claims to be Babar’s schoolfellow and neighbour.
Addressing the presser on Saturday, the woman had claimed that the young cricketer tricked her into love and marriage.
“When I asked him to marry me, he tortured me,” she said.
Hamiza said that she had financially supported Babar when he was struggling with his career, adding that she spent millions of rupees on him.
“When I called the PCB to lodge a complaint, they said that it was a personal matter,” she continued.
While PCB’s response to media queries adds weight to the woman’s claims, her lawyer says that an FIR [First Information Report] had been lodged with the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) regarding the matter but no action was taken.
Hamiza’s petition is now pending at a sessions court, which is scheduled for a hearing on December 4. The sexual harassment case will be heard on December 5.
Babar, who is in New Zealand for a three-match T20I series and a two-match Test series, on the other hand, is yet to make a statement on the matter.
