LAHORE: While the long-serving Pakistan team manager Pakistan Ayesha Ashar has been removed, former captain Urooj Mumtaz has replaced Jalaluddin as head of the women’s selection committee, the PCB said in a media release on Wednesday.

Another ex-Pakistan women’s team member Marina Iqbal joins the all-female selection panel which includes Asmavia Iqbal as the only survivor of the previous committee. Marina takes the place of Akhtar Sarfraz.

Ayesha, who has successfully been holding the post of manager for a lengthy period and is now being succeeded by Aisha Jalil, will have the responsibility for planning and coordinating women’s international cricket.

The immediate assignment of the selectors is to pick the national squad for the tour of South Africa scheduled for May.

In a media release PCB managing director Wasim Khan said: “I would like to thank Jalaluddin and Akhtar Sarfraz for their contribution for women’s cricket. For women’s cricket this will be an important priority moving forward and it has been reflected in the selection of such a relevant and dynamic committee. Their appointments will go a long way towards accelerating the progress of our senior women’s team.

Urooj, in her statement, said: “I would like to thank the PCB for believing in me and my abilities for this new role as the chair of the women’s selection committee.

“As we move into a new era of women’s cricket, we need to have the ability to adapt to the modern day game. Keeping that in mind, we aim to inspire and produce players with the skills and talent to compete consistently at the top international level, and also encourage the younger generation to take up this great game and become the ambassadors of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2019