In another change to the national selection committee, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reduced the number of members to five on Thursday.
Previously, the committee comprised 11 members, including four selectors, a data analyst, the national team’s captain, the head coach, and four ex-officio members without voting rights.
With the latest restructuring, the PCB removed the captain, head coach, and ex-officio members, granting the remaining five members—former cricketers Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafique, former umpire Aleem Dar, and data analyst Hasan Cheema—full decision-making powers.
According to a PCB spokesperson, this committee is now responsible for selecting squads and determining the Pakistan playing XI.
Since taking charge in February this year, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has implemented several changes to the selection committee. Initially, he formed a seven-member committee that included the captain and head coach, later adding assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, data analyst Bilal Afzal, and PCB officials Usman Wahla and Nadeem Khan as non-voting or ex-officio members.
The PCB’s decision to restructure was influenced by a series of poor performances, including a surprising defeat to the United States at the ICC T20 World Cup and a historic Test whitewash by Bangladesh at home.
Following Pakistan’s innings defeat to England in the first Test of the ongoing three-match series last week, Naqvi added Aaqib, Azhar, and Aleem to the selection committee and subsequently removed six members.
The PCB chairman has maintained his approach of not appointing a head to lead the selection committee.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
