PCB forms new Selection Committee ahead of Bangladesh series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the formation of a new selection committee on Friday, ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh set to begin in late August.

The decision follows the PCB's removal of former pacer Wahab Riaz and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, citing a loss of confidence in their roles. The new committee includes key figures such as the captains of the red and white-ball teams, head coaches Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie, Asad Shafiq, and Mohammad Yousuf. These members will hold voting rights and decision-making authority.

Meanwhile, the non-voting members of the committee are assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, Advisor to Chairman Bilal Afzal, Manager of Analytics and Team Strategy Hassan Cheema, Director of High-Performance Nadeem Khan, and Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla.

The restructured committee will be responsible for selecting the squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

The changes come in the wake of Pakistan's disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, which led to the removal of Wahab and Razzaq from the selection committee. The PCB confirmed this in a press release, stating, "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."

Following his removal as a selector, Wahab was also dismissed from his position as the senior team manager of the men's side.

Bangladesh will face Pakistan in two Tests, with matches scheduled in Rawalpindi from 21st to 25th August and in Karachi from 30th August to 3rd September.

Bangladesh in Pakistan (Two Tests)

• 21-25 Aug – First Test, Rawalpindi
• 30 Aug -3 Sep – Second Test, Karachi