The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a major revamp to its selection committee just hours after Pakistan's disappointing loss to England in Multan Test on October 11, Friday. In a surprising move, the PCB has appointed former ICC umpire Aleem Dar, along with ex-cricketers Azhar Ali and Aaqib Javed, to the men's selection committee. This decision comes on the heels of the resignation of former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf from his position. This marks yet another restructuring of Pakistan's selection panel this year, which has seen frequent adjustments. Notably, red-ball and white-ball coaches will no longer be involved in squad selection.
Earlier this year, the selection panel was restructured by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were dismissed following Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup. After Mohammad Yousuf's resignation, Asad Shafiq became the sole voting member, apart from the captains and coaches.
Aleem Dar added to Pakistan's selection committee
PCB has announced a new selection committee for the men's national team. The committee, which will be responsible for selecting players for Pakistan's international matches, consists of five members: Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, and Hasan Cheema.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed the recomposition of the men’s national selection committee. It now includes Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Hasan Cheema as voting members,” the PCB stated.
Aleem Dar's appointment to the Pakistan Cricket Board's selection committee has raised eyebrows as it is unusual for umpires to transition into such roles. Despite leaving the ICC's elite panel last year, Dar has remained active as a domestic and international umpire. He recently announced that this season would be his final one as a professional umpire.
The new selection committee's first assignment will be to pick the squad for the second Test against England, which begins on Tuesday. This comes after Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test. This is Pakistan's third consecutive Test loss at home and their seventh loss in the last nine home Tests.
One player who has come under scrutiny is Shan Masood, despite scoring a century in the first innings. Masood has been the captain for Pakistan's last six consecutive Test losses. The new selection committee will have to decide whether to retain Masood as captain for the second Test.
Pakistan legend Mohammad Yousuf resigned from his position on the national selection committee on September 29. In a social media statement, he cited personal reasons for his decision. Yousuf, who is 50 years old, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the Pakistan cricket team.
“I announce my resignation as a selector for the Pakistan cricket team due to personal reasons,” Mohammad Yousuf said in his post on X.
