The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s new selection committee for the national team has been revealed following the sacking of Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq. The governing body has appointed a five-member committee, according to reports.
In a major step, the Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed the team’s coaches and captains as part of the selection panel, according to Dawn News. White-ball head coach Gary Kirsten will be the chief selector along with red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie.
Apart from that, surprisingly, the captains of the teams (Babar Azam in white-ball format and Shan Masood in Tests) will also be part of the selection panel. The other two members of the Pakistan National Cricket Team selection committee will be Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq.
Here is Pakistan’s new selection panel:
Gary Kirsten
Jason Gillespie
Captain (of that format)
Mohamed Yousuf
Asad Shafiq
This comes after PCB through a press release relieved Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from selection roles following the team’s poor performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Men in Green were among the worst performers in the tournament, which was won by India.
Pakistan had a poor showing in the 2024 T20 World Cup. They faced some forgettable defeats in the tournament. The Babar Azam-led team lost their opening match against the United States of America in the Super over of the match and after that, their poor run continued.
Pakistan suffered a shambolic defeat against the Indian national cricket team by 6 runs. They were on top of their game for most of the match but failed to close out the game and ended up suffering defeat by a minimal margin, which hampered their chances of qualifying.
Pakistan managed just one win in their campaign during the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Men in Green defeated Canada and their final match was called off due to rain. This meant the end for them in the tournament as they failed to progress past the league stage and had to return home early.
Gary Kirsten accuses Shaheen Afridi of misbehaving during the 2024 T20 World Cup
Recently, a report in Pakistan media shocked many when it was revealed that head coach Gary Kirsten accused Shaheen Afridi of misbehaving during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Azhar Mahmood was also on the same page as the head coach but they did not take any action against the pacer.
A source close to the Pakistan team confirmed the development in the matter and claimed that the fast bowler since the Ireland series has been doing the same and also putting pressure on the team. While speaking about the issue with Samaa TV, he stated:
“Shaheen Afridi, of Ireland T20I series, England T20I series and 2024 T20 World Cup, has been accused of misconduct by Gary Kirsten and Azhar Mahmood. No action was taken against the halfback, who continued to misbehave and has also been accused of applying pressure.”
