In addition to former teammates Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi has been chosen the interim chief selector of the Pakistani men’s national team. The committee has been tasked with examining the Test squad that was declared by the panel chaired by Mohammad Wasim prior to his removal as chief selector as part of an overhaul at the PCB. For now, the appointment is limited for the forthcoming home series against New Zealand.
Najam Sethi, chair of the PCB management committee, expressed his hopes for “brave and decisive judgements” from the new committee in a statement ,”Shahid Afridi has been an attacking cricketer who played all his cricket with no fear. He has nearly 20 years of cricket experience, has featured in all formats with significant success and more importantly, has always backed and supported young talent.
“So, in our collective opinion, there is no better person than him to understand the rigours, demands and challenges of the modern day game. I remain confident that through his insight and knowledge of the game, he will help Pakistan select the best and most deserving players, and contribute in the side’s success in the upcoming series.”
All committees established under the defunct 2019 constitution, including the selection committee, were dismissed on Friday by the new PCB management committee, which took office on Thursday.
Afridi was originally named to the management committee but declined, stating he wanted to concentrate on his humanitarian foundation and wouldn’t be able to perform the job right. On the other hand, he joined via a video link the new management committee’s first meeting on Friday.
“I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling this responsibility to the best of my abilities,” Afridi said. “We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform strongly in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the confidence of our fans.
“I will soon convene a meeting of the selectors and will share my plans with reference to the upcoming matches.”
Iftikhar was a coach at the PCB’s National High Performance Center in Lahore before to the new position, while Razzaq, a former all-rounder who has made a name for himself as a coach in recent years, resigned from his post as Central Punjab’s assistant coach in September of this year.
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