LAHORE: The newly appointed committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), headed by Chairman Najam Sethi, has appointed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the interim chairman of the men’s cricket team for the home series against New Zealand.
The 45-year-old former all-rounder will replace Muhammad Wasim, who was removed from the post by the PCB committee a day earlier.
Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum will be members of the interim selection committee while Haroon Rashid will be the convener.
“I am pleased to announce, with immediate effect, an Interim Selection Committee for the New Zealand tour. It comprises Shahid Afridi (Chief Selector), Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar, with Haroon Rashid as Convenor,” said Sethi in a tweet.
I am pleased to announce, with immediate effect, an Interim Selection Committee for the New Zealand tour. It comprises Shahid Afridi (Chief Selector), Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar, with Haroon Rashid as Convenor.
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) December 24, 2022
Sethi further said: “I welcome the interim Men’s National Selection Committee and have no doubts that despite limited time, they will make brave and bold decisions that will help us produce a strong and competitive side in the series against New Zealand.
“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,” he said.
In a statement, Afridi said: “I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will no stone unturned in fulfilling this responsibility to the best of my abilities.
“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.”
Afridi represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20I matches from 1996 to 2018 in which he scored a total of 11,196 runs and took 541 wickets.
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