Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board is set to revert to its old selection committee system after the experiment of having no chief selector failed miserably during the T20 World Cup and before it.
Pakistan was ousted in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, losing to minnows USA and arch-rival India.
“The board is likely to return to the old system of having a chief selector with two or three selectors and the captain and head coach not sitting in selection meetings with the selectors,” a source told PTI.
Former Test fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who was part of the selection committee that picked the team for the T20 World Cup, is expected to retain his influential position on the board and might also be appointed the new chief selector.
Wahab was also the chief selector before the PCB decided to abolish the old system of having a three or four-member national selection committee with a chief selector and instead opted for eight selectors.
Under the new system, the captain and head coach (Babar Azam and Gary Kirsten) were made proper selectors, along with a data analyst and former cricketers -- Mohammad Yousuf, Wahab, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq, etc.
Wahab was later also made the national team's senior manager, although there was already a manager travelling with the side for the World Cup.
Apparently, Wahab is seen as very close to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who has a lot of trust in him and made him advisor sports when he was caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab before the elections.
The board is also actively looking at the central contracts given by former Chairman Zaka Ashraf to the players under which their tenure is for three years.
“Most likely players, who have central contracts, will be demoted or even dropped because of poor performances and other perks awarded to the players will be looked into,” he said.
Published 21 June 2024, 10:30 IST