Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi appointed as chairman of selection committee
The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed Shahid Afridi as the men’s cricket team chief selector on interim basis.
The previous selection committee was disbanded by the PCB. The decision was made just a few days after Pakistan was humiliated by England in a three-match Test series at home.
Afridi will chair the four-member panel, which will also include former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, with Haroon Rashid serving as the convener.
The previous Pakistan chief selector, Wasim, had his contract terminated by the current PCB executive committee, which is helmed by Najam Sethi. All committees formed by the now-defunct 2019 constitution have been disbanded as well.
“I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will no stone unturned in fulfilling this responsibility to the best of my abilities. We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform strongly in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the confidence of our fans,” Afridi said on the appointment.
“We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform strongly in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the confidence of our fans. I will soon convene a meeting of the selectors and will share my plans with reference to the upcoming matches,” he added.
Wasim, a former Pakistani batter, was appointed chief selector in December 2020, and it was expected that this system would last until the ODI World Cup in 2023. On Friday, he was sacked over email. Wasim’s final selection was for the New Zealand series test team at home.
During his leadership, Pakistan played 16 tests, winning eight and losing six, including two home series against Australia (1-0) and England (3-0).
Pakistan will next host New Zealand in two Test matches and 3 ODIs from December 26 to January 14.