Former Pakistan cricketer and former national selector Muhammad Wasim has been appointed as the chairman of the men's national selection committee till the 2023 World Cup while rest of the selection committee remains unchanged.
Wasim, who is presently head coach of the Northern Cricket Association, replaced Misbah-ul-Haq as the Pakistan chief selector and he will assume the charge following the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Further, Saleem Yousuf has been also appointed as the Chair of the PCB Cricket Committee – the panel presently comprises Ali Naqvi, Umar Gul, Urooj Mumtaz and Wasim Akram.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the appointments on Saturday, December 19, - which were approved by the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani following the final round of online interviews held on Thursday (December 17) and Friday (December 18).
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The 43-year-old Wasim played 18 Tests and 25 ODIs from 1996 to 2000 for Pakistan and scored 783 Test runs and 543 ODI runs apart from scoring 10,074 runs in 194 first-class matches from 1994 to 2011.
PCB said in an official release on Saturday: “Muhammad Wasim has been appointed as the Chairman of the Pakistan men’s national selection committee, while Saleem Yousuf has been confirmed as the Chair of the PCB Cricket Committee. To ensure consistency and continuity, both have been appointed till the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.”
The statement further reads: “The appointments were approved by the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani following the final round of online interviews, which were held on Thursday and Friday. Wasim’s first assignment will be to select the Pakistan side for the two Tests and three T20Is series against South Africa around mid-January.”
On the appointment, Wasim said: “I have been very fortunate to have played with some of the finest cricketers and am confident that I will be able to execute those learnings in this challenging role. I look forward to working closely with head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam as we collectively strive to take Pakistan cricket forward.”
Pakistan will have a hectic 2021 as they are to host South Africa, New Zealand, England and the West Indies apart from playing in the Twenty20 World Cup in India.
The newly-appointed chief selector continued: “We have a busy 2021 year ahead and I will focus on being positive on selections that not only address our short-term needs but also fulfil our long-term ambitions. We have immense talent in Pakistan and it is important that they are given opportunities.
This is a performance-oriented world and, as such, my philosophy will be to promote meritocracy and select squads according to home and international conditions and requirements. As a chief selector, I will always be willing to make the hard calls, if these are in the best interest of Pakistan cricket.”
Meanwhile, Yousuf said: “It is an honour to chair the group, which boasts some highly respected and knowledgeable people. The objective of this panel is to evaluate, analyse and assess cricket-related matters and then make recommendations to the PCB Chairman on how Pakistan cricket can improve, strengthen and move forward. With the support of my colleagues on this committee, I look forward to making a significant contribution so that we can continue to move Pakistan cricket forward.”
On the other hand, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said of the latest appointments: “We are delighted to confirm the appointments of two high-quality individuals as Chair of the Selection and PCB Cricket Committees. Both will serve for an initial three-year period till the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.”
He further added, “Wasim and Yousuf have sound knowledge of cricket, understand the rigours and demands of the modern game and are highly respected across the cricket fraternity. Both the gentlemen are also aligned to the PCB’s five-year strategic pillar of strengthening our merit and opportunity-based domestic structure, as well as improving our international rankings across all formats.
Wasim’s appointment is also part of our strategy to groom, develop and provide leadership opportunities to our talented cricketers. After retiring from competitive cricket, Wasim has progressed through the ranks, having previously worked as a match referee, coach and selector.”
Khan signed off by saying, “Under Saleem’s leadership, we will have a fresh, objective and constructive approach to all aspects of our game and the PCB Cricket Committee looks forward to putting up strong recommendations to the PCB Chairman on how we can continue to improve Pakistan cricket.”
(With PCB/AP Inputs)
