Wahab Riaz appointed as Pakistan’s chief selector

LAHORE: Former Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has been appointed as the chief selector of the national men’s selection committee following the resignation of Inzamam-ul-Haq, ARY News reported on Friday.  

According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Wahab Riaz’s first assignment will be the selection of the national men’s squad for the three-match Test series against Australia and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Wahab, who made his international debut in 2008, represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is picking up 237 wickets and scoring 1200 runs across the three formats.

He was Pakistan’s second-most successful bowler in World Cups, registering 35 wickets across three editions of the marquee event.

“I am honoured to assume the role of chief selector for the national men’s selection committee and I extend my gratitude to Chairman PCB Management Committee, Mr Zaka Ashraf, for entrusting me with this responsibility,” the former pacer quoted saying in the statement issued by PCB.

Wahab Riaz opens up about his appointment as chief selector and outlines his priorities in this role 🎙️🏏

More details ➡️ https://t.co/3uhDwHUhIB pic.twitter.com/qfuv0Y9Bdm

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 17, 2023

“Heading a selection committee is a challenging task. We have a significant Australia tour coming up that is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle and a T20I series against New Zealand that will allow us to develop a formidable unit leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June next year,” he added.

Wahab Riaz further said that his primary goal would be to give weightage to the top performers in domestic cricket and announce well-rounded squads equipped with the necessary skillsets.

The development came after Inzamam-ul-Haq resigned as the chairman of the national men’s selection committee and junior selection committee.

The dismal performance of national men’s cricket team in ongoing World Cup 2023 prompted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to carry out major reshuffle, changing captains of Test and T20I.

Read More: Babar Azam failed to become a leader: Shahid Afridi

The team suffered five losses, the most in their World Cup history, including their first defeat against Afghanistan in ODIs also their first against South Africa in World Cups this century.

Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan all-format captain as the team failed to qualify for the semifinals as they finished fifth in the standings with eight points.

Later, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced left-handed batter Shan Masood and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as captains for Test and Twenty20 international (T20I) format, respectively.