Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq axed from PCB selection committee

LAHORE: Former cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq have been axed from the seven-member selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ARY News reported, citing sources.

The reshuffle in the selection committee came on Tuesday weeks after Pakistan’s early exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.

While Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Yousuf are still part of the committee, sources said that both the former players will also be shown the door.

According to sources, a new selection committee will be announced in the coming days by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who had hinted at a ‘major surgery’ in the setup after Pakistan lost two of their opening games in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Addressing a press conference in New York on June 10, after Pakistan’s gut-wrenching defeat to India, Naqvi said the defeat was disappointing in every way.

“It seemed that a minor surgery would suffice for the Pakistan cricket team, but after the extremely poor performance, it has become clear that the team needs major surgery,” the PCB chairman said.

He went on to add that he was well aware of what was happening within the team and the reasons for the defeat.

Earlier today, Mohsin Naqvi met white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. He also held a meeting with the former and current cricketers to discuss the future of cricket.