June 20th 2024.
In the wake of Pakistan's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, significant changes are on the horizon for the Pakistan Cricket Board's selection committee. A recent news report suggests that a thorough review will soon take place to find out where the team went wrong. But it seems that the top priority is to streamline the operations of the selection committee.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the seven-member committee, which is currently without an official head, may be downsized. It is also possible that the PCB will do away with their recent experiment of having a leaderless selection process. This setup, where decisions are made based on equal votes and majority decisions, is now being questioned. There are increasing frustrations within the PCB, including from Wahab Riaz himself, over the public perception that he unofficially leads the committee and bears the brunt of criticism.
In light of this, it is highly likely that Wahab will no longer be a part of the selection committee. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is determined to show that no one is immune to repercussions. However, the report also indicates that there will be no immediate decision on Babar Azam's captaincy. Despite the strong emotions following Pakistan's World Cup exit, the urgency to address the captaincy issue is not as pressing as their next white-ball match is not until November.
The review process will involve feedback from several management members who accompanied the team, with head coach Gary Kirsten's input carrying significant weight. Kirsten, who was appointed in April after an exhaustive search, has reportedly expressed concerns about the team's lack of unity. While the exact nature of his remarks remains uncertain, it is clear that there was a frank and robust exchange of views, which will likely influence his report to the PCB.
Moreover, it is also worth mentioning that there may be changes to players' central contracts, which are set to expire on June 30. Although a landmark three-year contract agreement was reached last year, individual players' positions can still be adjusted based on their performance. Currently, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi hold the highest category contracts, but their standings could be reevaluated in light of recent performances. This shows that the PCB is willing to make necessary changes in order to improve the national setup and achieve better results.
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