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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday, October 11, that famed umpire Aleem Dar, former fast-bowler Aaqib Javed, and former batter and captain Azhar Ali will be new members of their selection committee. They'll join Asad Shafiq, Hassan Cheema, and the captain and coach in calling the shots for the squad selections.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, all seven members will have a vote on selection. Cheema, the captain and coach didn't have voting rights earlier but have been granted the same now.
There are four non-voting members as well: assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, PCB advisor Bilal Afzal, High Performance director Nadeem Khan and International Cricket director Usman Wahla.
This is the second big rejig in the committee this year. The three new members have replaced Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq who were sacked only weeks after their appointment, in light of Pakistan's exit from the 2024 men's T20 World Cup in June, and Mohammad Yousuf, who resigned last week.
Riaz and Razzaq weren't replaced immediately and Yousuf's resignation left Shafiq as the only voting member in the committee. According to the aforementioned report, this makes it 26 different selectors for the team in just over three years.
Javed played 163 ODIs and 22 Tests for Pakistan in the 90s while Azhar retired last year after featuring in 97 Tests and 53 ODIs. Dar's selection is the most interesting for he was part of the ICC Elite Panel of umpires until last year and will only give up umpiring in domestic cricket after the current season.
New selectors already have their plates full
The new selectors will be tested immediately as their first call of action will be to select a squad for the second Test between England and Pakistan.
The first ended only hours before the announcement and saw one of Pakistan's most unforgiving defeats at home - by an innings and 47 runs despite scoring 556 in the first innings. Not only the players but captain Shan Masood is also under the scanner after three consecutive home defeats.
