PCB appoints Shahid Afridi as interim chief selector

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Saturday appointed national team’s former captain Shahid Afridi as the interim chief of Men’s National Selection Committee for the upcoming home series against New Zealand.

For now, the appointment of Shahid Afridi is only for the home series against New Zealand. 

The selection panel, which also has Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, has been tasked with reviewing the Test squad named by the previous committee.

“PCB Management Committee has appointed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the interim Chair of the Men’s National Selection Committee. Other members of the panel are: Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Haroon Rashid will be the Convener,” the cricket board tweeted.

PCB Management Committee has appointed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the interim Chair of the Men’s National Selection Committee. Other members of the panel are: Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Haroon Rashid will be the Convener.

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 24, 2022

The PCB announced the new panel after sacking Mohammad Wasim-led selection committee.

Afridi aka Lala is one of the most decorated players in the history of Pakistan cricket. Having 22-year-long career, he led the national team across different stints. 

Afridi had lifted the 2009 T20 World Cup title with Pakistan. The all-rounder represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20Is in an illustrious career for the national side.

Najam Sethi, meanwhile, heads a new 14-member management committee including former Pakistan captains Shahid Afridi and Sana Mir. The government has given them 120 days to restore department teams in the domestic setup and form a new board of governors.

Chair of the PCB Management Committee, Sethi 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”.

He added, “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”.

In the meantime, Shahid Afridi stated: “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”.

Abdul Razzaq, in a 17-year career from 1996 to 2013, played 343 international matches and scored 7,419 runs and took 389 wickets. He was also a member of the side that won the 2009 side that lifted the T20 World Cup at Lord’s.

Rao Iftikhar played a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010.