Daily Times

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the removal of former cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the board’s selection committee following the team’s poor 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 national selection committee setup,” stated the board’s press release.

This announcement comes a day after Geo News, citing sources, reported that the board had lost confidence in the ex-cricketers due to their support for underperforming players during the mega-event.

The dismissal of Riaz and Razzaq follows the PCB’s reorganization of the men’s national selection committee in March to enhance transparency. Despite these efforts, the team selected by the panel failed to deliver in all subsequent series.

Riaz was a member of the men’s selection committee, while Razzaq served on the selection committees for both men’s and women’s teams. Their influence was significant in selecting the T20 World Cup squad, but their support for non-performing players and their opinions being disregarded for some time led to their removal, sources noted.

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

The board stated it will provide further updates on the selection committee’s composition in due course. Meanwhile, with the men’s team and the PCB facing severe criticism from fans and the cricketing community after the T20 World Cup debacle, PCB chairman met with white-ball coach Gary Kirsten and red-ball coach Jason Gillespie to discuss critical team matters.