Major surgery? PCB confirms dismissal of Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq

• Sources say the PCB had lost faith in former cricketers.
• The board had reorganized the selection committee in March last year.
• The PCB says it will update the composition of the committee.

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday confirmed the axing of former cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the board’s selection panel following the team’s dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.

“The PCB today confirmed that it has notified Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz that their services will no longer be required in the composition of the national selection committee,” the board’s press release said.

Confirmation comes a day later Geo Newsciting sources, said the board had removed the former cricketers from the selection committee after losing confidence in them due to their support for players who failed in the major event.

The removal of the former cricketers came as the PCB had reshuffled the men’s national selection committee with equal powers in March earlier this year to bring more transparency to the process, but the team selected by the committee failed to deliver throughout the series. since then.

Riaz was part of the men’s selection committee, while Razzaq was part of the selection committees for both the men’s and women’s teams.

However, due to the men’s team’s poor performance and early exit from the T20 World Cup, along with the women’s team’s back-to-back bilateral series losses to England and the West Indies.

Their influence was significant in the T20 World Cup squad selection and they showed more support to under-performing players. Their views had not been considered for some time, the sources added.

However, sources say the PCB has retained Mohammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq and Bilal Afzal in the seven-member panel that also includes the captain and coach.

The council said it would provide further updates on the make-up of the selection panel in due course.

With the men’s team and board under heavy criticism from fans and the cricketing fraternity alike after the T20 World Cup fiasco, the PCB chairman met white-ball coach Gary Kirsten and red-ball coach ball Jason Gillespie to discuss important issues regarding the team. .

On the same day, he also held a meeting with more than two dozen former and current players to discuss the future of cricket in the country, where the top official unveiled a presentation titled “Pathway to Pakistan Cricket” that shed light on the steps a cricketer to reach the national team.

The PCB chief has already hinted at a “major surgery” and has held consultations with various stakeholders on key decisions for Pakistan cricket that are likely to be made in the coming days.

However, there is uncertainty about the leadership of the team as Naqvi said that no decision has been taken so far regarding Babar Azam and his future as the captain of the national team.