The Pakistan cricket team, often surrounded by controversies, is in the spotlight again. During their visit to the USA for the T20 World Cup 2024, news emerged that Babar Azam and his team organized a private dinner event named "Meet and Greet," charging $25 as an entry fee. This move has sparked a significant backlash, especially from former player Rashid Latif.
In a video shared on social media, Latif criticized the event, stating that fans who paid $25 were allowed to meet the players during the dinner. He expressed his dissatisfaction on a TV show, suggesting such events could lead to chaos.
“There are official dinners, but this is a private one. Who can organize this? It's horrifying. You are letting fans meet our players for $25. What if something went wrong? People would say our boys are making money,” Latif remarked.
Latif acknowledged the idea of charity dinners but found the concept of a private dinner with an entry fee shocking. He shared that people often complained to him about players asking for money for such meetings. He mentioned that similar events happened during his playing days, but they were official dinners.
Given that it’s the World Cup, Latif emphasized that players should be extremely careful. He advised that organizing two or three dinners for fundraising would make sense, but a private event under the Pakistan cricket name should not happen.
