The interim selection committee including Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Abdul Razzaq will be headed by Shahid Afridi
Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Abdul Razzaq are his former teammates who will serve as interim chief selectors for Pakistan’s national team. Mohammad Wasim was removed as chief selector of the PCB as part of an overhaul and the committee has been tasked with investigation.
Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Abdul Razzaq are his former teammates who will serve as interim chief selectors for Pakistan’s national team.
Mohammad Wasim was removed as chief selector of the PCB as part of an overhaul and the committee has been tasked with investigating the Test squad that was announced by the panel he chaired prior to his removal. In the meantime, an appointment will only be available for the upcoming home series against New Zealand.
According to Najam Sethi, chairman of the PCB management committee, he is hoping for “brave and decisive judgements” in a statement.
“Shahid Afridi has been an attacking cricketer who played all his cricket with no fear. He has nearly 20 years of cricket experience, has featured in all formats with significant success and more importantly, has always backed and supported young talent.
“So, in our collective opinion, there is no better person than him to understand the rigours, demands and challenges of the modern day game. I remain confident that through his insight and knowledge of the game, he will help Pakistan select the best and most deserving players, and contribute in the side’s success in the upcoming series.”
The newly elected PCB management committee dissolved all committees that were created according to the out-of-date 2019 constitution, including the selection committee, on Friday.
In the beginning, Shahid Afridi was selected for the management committee, but he opted out, saying he wanted to focus on his philanthropic foundation instead. But on Friday, he joined via a video link to take part in the inaugural meeting of the new management committee.
“I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will leave 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.
“I will soon convene a meeting of the selectors and will share my plans with reference to the upcoming matches.”
During his career, Shahid Afridi played 27 tests, 398 one-day internationals, and 99 twenty-one-day internationals, accumulating 11,196 runs and 541 wickets.
In addition, he captained the national team in 83 international games. In 2009, he was a member of the Pakistani team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Lord’s against Australia.
Abdul Razzaq played 343 international matches from 1996 to 2013, scoring 7,419 runs and taking 389 wickets over his 17-year career. As part of his T20 World Cup experience, he also played at Lord’s for the team that won the 2009 tournament.
It is worth mentioning that Iftikhar was already a coach at the PCB’s National High Performance Center in Lahore before his new appointment, while Abdul Razzaq, who resigned from his position as Central Punjab’s assistant coach in September, was also a former all-rounder who built a reputation as an excellent coach.