PCB likely to reshuffle national selection committee: sources

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to make big changes to the national selection committee, with sources suggesting that Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Aleem Dar could lose their roles.

According to sources, at least three selectors are likely to be replaced. The goal is to form a team that picks players based on merit and performance, instead of simply agreeing with existing decisions. The new selection committee will focus on finding talented and deserving players for the national team.

Among the current members, only Aaqib Javed is expected to stay in the restructured committee, while the rest may be removed.

Sources also said that a final decision has been made regarding the future of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in T20Is. While they might be dropped from the shortest format, both are still likely to play ODIs and Test matches.

Well-placed sources further shared that Azhar and Asad have not been very active in recent selection decisions. Aleem Dar is also expected to be removed from the committee. During the recent series against Bangladesh, Asad and Azhar were not involved in selecting the final 16-member squad alongside team director Mike Hesson.

At the same time, two former Test cricketers were unexpectedly called to a selection meeting in Islamabad to give their input. However, it is not yet confirmed if they will be part of the new selection setup.

The meeting was attended by Mike Hesson, Salman Ali Agha, Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, and Hasan Cheema. Before the New Zealand series, the PCB also held a similar meeting where selectors gave their opinions in the presence of a team mentor.