LAHORE: In a significant shake-up, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reduced its national selection committee to just five members. Previously, the committee consisted of 11 members, including four selectors, a data analyst, the captain and head coach of the national team, and four ex-officio members without voting power.
The new five-member committee comprises former cricketers Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafique, former umpire Aleem Dar, and data analyst Hasan Cheema. This committee now holds the authority not only to select squads but also to pick the Pakistan playing XIs, a PCB spokesperson told Dawn on Thursday.
After taking charge in February, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has implemented several changes to the selection committee. Initially, Mohsin formed a seven-member committee that included the Pakistan captain and head coach. Later, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, data analyst Bilal Afzal, and PCB officials Usman Wahla and Nadeem Khan were added as non-voting or ex-officio members.
However, Pakistan’s poor performance, including a shocking defeat to the United States at the ICC T20 World Cup and a home Test whitewash by Bangladesh, led to further alterations. Following an innings loss to England in the opening Test of the ongoing series, Mohsin added Aaqib, Azhar, and Aleem to the committee before ultimately removing six members.
Despite these changes, Mohsin has maintained his policy of not appointing a head for the committee.
