The Pakistan Cricket Board has undertaken another overhaul of its selection committee, a decision coinciding with the aftermath of a disappointing home Test match against England. Following England's decisive victory, winning by an innings and 47 runs in Multan, the PCB introduced Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, and Azhar Ali as the newest members of the selection panel. They join Asad Shafiq, analyst Hassan Cheema, along with the team captain and coach who were already part of the committee. This diverse group now totals seven members who will possess voting rights regarding player selections.
In addition to the voting members, there are four non-voting participants: Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Bilal Afzal (an advisor to the PCB chairman), Nadeem Khan (director of high performance), and Usman Wahla (director of international cricket). This latest appointment follows the resignation of Mohammad Yousuf from the panel just ten days prior. Although a head for the selection committee has not been designated, the situation in Pakistan cricket has seen considerable instability, with 26 different selectors operating since August 2021.
The new appointments came swiftly after Pakistan's record-setting defeat, marking the first instance in Test history where a team has lost a match by an innings after scoring over 550 runs in the first innings. This loss was particularly striking as it marked Pakistan's third consecutive Test defeat on home soil and their seventh loss in the last nine home Tests, reflecting a troubling trend for the national side.
The immediate challenge for the newly formed committee will be to finalize a squad for the second Test scheduled to take place in Multan starting next Tuesday. The PCB had only previously announced the squad for the first Test, leaving plenty of room for changes in light of the recent match performance. The committee convened at the PCB's National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Friday afternoon and plans to travel to Multan on Saturday. There, they will meet with head curator, captain Shan Masood, and head coach Jason Gillespie to discuss team selection before solidifying their lineup.
Shan Masood has faced scrutiny following this latest defeat, with his captaincy and the performance of several players under evaluation. Despite scoring a century in the first innings, Masood's ongoing struggle with form raises concerns, especially given that his captaincy record now stands at zero wins and six successive losses. Furthermore, Pakistan’s position in the World Test Championship (WTC) has deteriorated, placing them at the bottom of the points table with only 16 points garnered from eight matches.
In the post-match discussion in Multan, Masood mentioned the importance of maintaining a cohesive squad mentality and expressed the need for improvement, regardless of the conditions set by the pitch. He acknowledged England's exemplary performance as a benchmark for his team to aim for.
The restructuring of the selection committee had initially occurred earlier this year, led by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi without appointing a chief selector. This reorganization witnessed the dismissals of Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq following Pakistan's premature exit from the T20 World Cup in June, a decision that has yet to see replacement selectors named. Following Yousuf’s resignation, Shafiq remained the only voting member aside from the captain and coach.
Aleem Dar’s entrance into the selection committee is particularly noteworthy, as it is uncommon for umpires to transition into such roles. Although he stepped down from the ICC’s elite panel the previous year, Dar continued to officiate domestically and oversee home international matches. He recently announced that the current season will mark his final year in professional umpiring.
The current dynamics within the PCB’s selection committee point to a critical moment in Pakistan cricket. The urgent need for adjustments and a shift in strategy reflects the pressures faced by the team following a series of disappointing performances. As they move forward, the selection committee must take careful consideration of player form and team cohesion to uplift the morale and performance of the national side. The upcoming Test series against England presents an opportunity for a rebound, but the pressure to deliver results will weigh heavily on both the players and the newly constituted selection committee.