Following Pakistan’s poor performance in the Super Four stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the team’s exit from the event, a member of the national selection committee, Aleem Dar, has decided to resign. According to highly reliable sources, the ICC Elite Panel umpire stepped down due to extraordinary interference in selection matters by head coach Mike Hesson and the silence of the influential selection committee member Aaqib Javed.
Aleem Dar complains that selectors had announced Pakistan’s best 20 players, but then the captain and coach chose the wrong 15, followed by incorrect selections in the playing XI. As a result, selectors are left only to face criticism. During the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Aleem Dar had expressed reservations over the inclusion of former captain Babar Azam and all-rounder Shadab Khan in the squad despite their lack of performance. However, Captain Salman Ali Agha, who, according to Aleem Dar, did not even merit a place in the squad as captain along with Aaqib Javed, showed no resistance. Coach Mike Hesson openly had the final say in selection matters. Aleem Dar had also proposed that experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan should be played at number six instead of wicketkeeper Usman Khan. His stance was that if Shadab and Babar could be part of the team despite their underperformance, then Mohammad Rizwan also deserved another opportunity.
In the current circumstances, Aleem Dar’s resignation is being viewed as a principled decision. He believes that Allah has granted him great respect through cricket, and he does not wish to work as a puppet; therefore, it is better for him to step down.