In the wake of a devastating home Test loss to England, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a major overhaul of its selection committee. England defeated Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test, despite Pakistan posting over 500 runs in their first innings. Shortly after this loss, the PCB revealed the inclusion of renowned former umpire Aleem Dar, along with former cricketers Aaqib Javed and Azhar Ali, as new members of the selection panel.
This expanded selection committee now includes seven voting members, with Asad Shafiq, analyst Hassan Cheema, along with the team’s captain and coach, already part of the decision-making group. In addition, four non-voting members—Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Bilal Afzal (advisor to the PCB chairman), Nadeem Khan (director of High Performance), and Usman Wahla (director of International Cricket)—will also contribute to discussions.
The shake-up comes just days after the resignation of Mohammad Yousuf from the selection panel. Notably, no head of the committee has been appointed yet, and this marks the 26th change in leadership since August 2021.
New Committee’s Immediate Challenge: Second Test Selection
The PCB’s announcement coincided with Pakistan’s disheartening defeat in the first Test against England. The loss marked Pakistan’s third consecutive home Test defeat and their seventh in their last nine home matches. This poor run has left the team languishing at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, with only 16 points from eight matches.
The newly revamped committee now faces the urgent task of selecting the squad for the second Test, scheduled to begin in Multan next Tuesday.
Aleem Dar’s Surprising Appointment
Perhaps the most surprising appointment to the committee is that of Aleem Dar, one of the most respected umpires in world cricket. It is rare for umpires to transition into selection roles, but Dar, who stepped down from the ICC’s elite umpiring panel last year, continues to officiate in domestic and international matches. He has recently announced that this season will be his last as a professional umpire.
Earlier in the year, the PCB had already restructured its selection committee under chairman Mohsin Naqvi, following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup. At that time, selectors Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were removed from their positions without immediate replacements. Yousuf’s departure last month left Shafiq as the sole voting member alongside the captain and coaches.
With a revamped committee and major decisions looming, the PCB is under pressure to reverse Pakistan’s disappointing run in Test cricket as they prepare for the next crucial match in Multan.
