The change in Pakistan cricket is still on. After the ODI World Cup 2023, the team went through a lot of changes. However, the Pakistan team fails to make an impact even in the T20 World Cup. They bid goodbye from the group stage of the tournament. Following Pakistan’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup, Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq have been removed from their positions as national team selectors.
Pakistan’s Exit After Poor Performance:
The difficult time in Pakistan cricket is still going on. In the past few years, the team faced a lot of difficulties. They failed to bring out their best performances on the big stage. After making an exit from last year’s ODI World Cup, their struggle continued in the recently ended T20 World Cup. Before stepping into the T20 World Cup, the cricket board reappointed Babar Azam the captain of the side.
The Babar Azam-led side failed in this stage too. In their first match to the USA, they faced a close defeat in the super-over. But their biggest heartbreak came after losing the match against India while chasing a very small total. In the tournament, they registered only 2 wins and made their exit from the group stage.
Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq’s Snub:
Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign has led to significant changes, with Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq both removed from their roles as selectors for the national teams. Razzaq, who recently joined the selection committee for both men’s and women’s teams, will no longer be part of the women’s team selection either. These departures are expected to be officially announced later this week.
Wahab Riaz faced scrutiny after Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup. Despite being previously removed as chief selector, he was seen as the unofficial leader of the selection committee, which operated without a formal chief. Internally, Wahab was frustrated by this perception, as it often led to him taking criticism for decisions made collectively by the committee. Additionally, Wahab served as the senior team manager during the T20 World Cup, a role he is likely to lose as well.
Re-Construction of the Committee:
The structure of Pakistan’s selection committee is set for a shake-up, with plans to appoint a new chief selector in the future. The committee’s size is likely to be reduced, suggesting that Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq won’t be replaced merely to maintain numbers.
Wahab Riaz’s exit marks a swift decline for someone once considered a confidant of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Previously serving as caretaker sports minister in Naqvi’s administration, Wahab’s departure underscores significant changes within Pakistan’s cricket administration.
The recently formed seven-member committee, where Wahab Riaz was demoted from chief selector, operates on an equal voting basis. PCB Chairman Naqvi emphasized collective decision-making through debate. This highlights ongoing instability in Pakistan’s selection process, marked by six chief selectors in the past four years: Wahab, Haroon Rashid, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim, and Misbah-ul-Haq.
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