SOMEONE had to take the blame and bear the brunt of the fallout from Pakistan’s disastrous showing at the T20 World Cup. This past week saw Wahab Riaz, perceived as the most influential member of the men’s cricket team selection committee, and Abdul Razzaq, also a selector for the women’s team, being sacked. The move prompted a strong rebuke from the aggrieved parties. Amid reports that the duo had overruled the other five members of the committee in the selection of players, Wahab and Razzaq said that every member had one vote and it was impossible for them to wield their influence on the other five. The committee was appointed only four months ago — a novel set-up that had five selectors as well as the coach and captain of the team, with Wahab, previously chief selector, being made a member. Things, as Pakistan’s humbling group stage exit from the World Cup showed, have not worked out and the selection committee has been reshaped. The committee now has four voting members and five ex-officio or non-voting members. Two members of the previous selection committee, former batters Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, will continue and be voting members alongside the captain and coach of the format. The five non-voting members — all PCB employees, including assistant coach Azhar Mahmood — are likely to work as advisers on selection matters.

How it will function remains to be seen but the development adds to the instability that has engulfed the selection committee over the last two years. It has been a case of revolving doors, with five chief selectors having come and gone since January 2022 before PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi decided to have no one at the helm of the committee. Giving the selectors a consistent run might have helped but for now, Mr Naqvi has to prove that his decision to revamp the selection committee can actually work for Pakistan cricket.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024