Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq as selectors

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sacked selectors Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq, reportedly due to the men's team's poor showing at the T20 World Cup in June.

Change remains constant for PCB

In yet another upheaval at the boardroom level in Pakistan cricket, the decision to fire the pair means that the composition of the men's selection committee will change yet again, after the seven-member panel was constituted in March this year.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the board said: "The Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed that it has notified Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz that their services will no longer be required in the national selection committee setup.

"Abdul Razzaq was a member of the men’s and women’s selection committee, while Wahab was a member of the men’s selection committee. The PCB will provide further updates on the selection committee’s composition in due course."

Wahab was appointed as the chief selector for the Pakistan national team in November 2023, following the 50 overs World Cup in which Pakistan finished fifth in the group stage, failing to qualify for the semifinals. He replaced Inzamam-ul-Haq in the role.

An advisory committee comprising former Pakistan internationals Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt and Rao Iftikhar Anjum was appointed to assist him, but Butt was hastily removed after internal reservations over his integrity relating to the match-fixing scandal in England in 2010.

This arrangement did not last for long, as new PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi decided to shake up the structure in March 2024. In a reorganisation of the selection committee, the new arrangement was that four former players — Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq — along with the national team captain, head coach and a data analyst (Bilal Afzal) would form a seven-strong selection panel. There would be no designated 'chief' selector.

Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq may not be replaced

This panel of seven had the immediate responsibility of picking the Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June. That tournament did not go to plan for them, as Pakistan suffered a shock loss to USA in their opening match before losing to arch-rivals India. They did manage wins over Canada and Ireland, but failed to qualify for the Super Eights stage, making it a sub-par performance.

According to a report from ESPNCricinfo, there are now plans in place to re-appoint a chief selector, as well as reduce the size of the panel. This means there is a chance that Wahab and Razzaq will not be replaced.

For the last one week, both men have been representing Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), a franchise league for retired players. The league is taking place in Birmingham, and has been approved by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It is unknown at this point whether their participation here may have played a part in their departure.

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