• Wion
  • /Cricket
  • /Pakistan Cricket: Another fallout sees Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq sacked from PCB selection committee

Pakistan Cricket: Another fallout sees Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq sacked from PCB selection committee

Pakistan Cricket: Another fallout sees Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq sacked from PCB selection committee

Pakistan Cricket: Another fallout sees Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq get sacked from PCB selection committee

Pakistan cricket’s desperation hasstarted to catch the attention of the fans and media after they were eliminated in the group stage of the T20 World Cup in June. Now facing a routine post-World Cup review, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to sack members of the selection committee Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq, and is likely to revert back to the old selection process. The decision comes after Pakistan could not progress into the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup while questionswere raised on theselection of the squad.

Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq sacked

According to ESPNcricinfo, the seven-member committee which is by default headed by former chief selector Riaz was trimmed down to five. Both Riaz, the de facto head of the committee and Razzaq were sacked on Tuesday (July 9) evening. This comes as a big U-turn from the Pakistan Cricket Board that experimented with the selection committee where all the seven members had equal power and voting rights, unlike the chief selector panel.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The PCB selection committee will likely be abolished and a new chief selector could be announced in the coming days with the rest of the members still part of the new system.

The move, however, comes as a surprise for few as Riaz was considered a close aide to now PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi with the former also serving a term as Sports Minster. The decision by the PCB comes after Riaz and his selection committee faced backlash for poor selection calls.

ALSO READ |BCCI announces Gautam Gambhir as new India head coach

The former Pakistan speedster was with the team during the T20 World Cup and was widely considered responsible for the team’s failure having also served as the de facto head of the selection committee.

What next for Pakistan Cricket?

As things stand, the PCB under Naqvi will likely reappoint a chief selector for the men’s team with the selection panel trimmed down. The board has already appointed a host of chief selectors in recent times which include Haroon Rashid, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim and Misbah-ul-Haq. While there is no front-runner for the post right now, it will be interesting to see who takes the tough job with Pakistan set to host the Champions Trophy in March.

About the Author

Aditya Vidyadhar Pimpale

Parth Seth is a research fellow at India Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, where he studies the themes of development, foreign policy, and multilateralism, particularly in ...Read More