The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday appointed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the interim chief of the men’s team ahead of the New Zealand series. He takes over from Mohammad Wasim, who was fired this week after a year in which Pakistan lost in the finals of the Twenty20 World Cup and the Asia Cup, before losing 3-0 to England in a home Test series. Afridi’s appointment comes ahead of New Zealand’s two-test tour of Pakistan, which begins on Monday.
Besides, other former cricketers like Abdur Razzak and Rao Iftikhar Anjum are also part of the panel, while Haroon Rashid was named the convener. The announcement comes days after PCB appointed a new chairman in Najam Sethi who replaced Ramiz Raja.
“PCB Management Committee has appointed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the interim Chair of the Men’s National Selection Committee. Other members of the panel are: Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Haroon Rashid will be the Convener,” wrote the PCB on their official Twitter account.
“I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility,” said Afridi, who retired from international cricket in 2017.
“We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform.”
Afridi played 27 Tests, 398 one-day and 99 Twenty 20 international for Pakistan in a career remembered for his hard-hitting batting.
