The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sacked former pacer Wahab Riaz and former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from the selection committee in the aftermath of the team’s failure to advance from the group stages of the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, reported ESPN Cricinfo. A fallout after Pakistan’s dismal show in the T20 World Cup, where they were knocked out from the group stage after losing to the USA and India, was on the expected lines, and the first blow fell on the selection committee.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz was sacked from his position in the selection committee in the aftermath of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 group-stage exit. Pakistan were knocked out from Group A in the tournament which included USA and Canada who were making their debut at the T20 World Cup.
Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq sacked as Pakistan selectors post WT20 debacle.
Barely four months after restructuring of the selection committee, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has decided to sack two noted members of the selection committee, leaving it with only five members instead of the original seven. The remaining five selection committee members are the head coach and captain of the respective formats, Mohammad Yousaf, Asad Shafiq and Bilal Afzal, a data analyst. The PCB are unlikely to replace Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq in the committee.
The report added that Razzaq was also relieved from the women’s team’s selection committee duties. Wahab Riaz’s fall has been more rapid. Believed to be a close confidant of the PCB chief, Wahab Riaz had served in his cabinet as caretaker sports minister while Naqvi was appointed caretaker chief minister of Punjab and followed him to the PCB, where he was initially appointed chief selector.
His position always garnered a lot of attention. The former pacer faced a lot of criticism after appointing former captain Salman Butt as one of the advisors. His differences with Pakistan’s ace pacer Haris Rauf were out in the open. Rauf was scrapped of a central contract and slammed by Wahab Riaz over his reluctance to tour Australia with the Test team. His contract was reinstated after about six weeks with the intervention of Naqvi, who termed it as a “misunderstanding” and a “wrong decision” from the selectors’ part.
Wahab Riaz soon lost his post as chief selector as the revamped committee gave equal importance to all seven members. However, the public still saw Riaz as the de facto head, which bothered the former cricketer as he was singled out for criticism whenever the team didn’t do well. Wahab Riaz had also travelled with the Pakistan side to the T20 World Cup as senior team manager, another duty he will likely be stripped of.
The report adds that PCB are set to bring back the old model of a five-member selection committee with a chief selector. The men’s team has seen six chief selectors over the past four years, with Wahab, Haroon Rashid, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim and Misbah-ul-Haq all serving brief stints.
After the event, Wahab Riaz took to Twitter and reacted to the development stating that he had a lot of things to say but preferred not to get into a blame game.
Wahab Riaz responds after being sacked by PCB post WT20 debacle.
Outgoing Pakistan chief selector Wahab Riaz has issued a statement in the wake of being sacked from his role by the PCB on Wednesday. The former speedster shared a lengthy statement alongside a caption that he doesn’t want to play any sort of blame game.
With the men’s team delivering a forgettable performance in T20 World Cup 2024, the PCB took strong action by sacking Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq. The board released a statement, claiming that the duo’s services were no longer required and that they would provide further explanation on the same later.
Sharing his statement on X, Riaz asserted that he feels privileged to have worked as a selector and gave his everything. The 39-year-old elaborated:
“My time serving as a member of selection committee for PCB comes to an end, I just want my people to know that I have served the game I love with faith and sincerity and have given 100 percent for the betterment of Pakistan cricket. It has been an honor to serve as part of the selection panel.”
“To make collaborative decisions as part of the seven-man panel to select the national team was a privilege – everyone’s vote carried equal weight, we made selection decisions as a team & shared the responsibility of that process equally.”
Before releasing this lengthy statement, Riaz said on X that he disagrees with rumors around adding pressure to the selection committee and vowed to unveil another statement.
Wahab Riaz is grateful to people who prayed for him
The veteran also underlined how much he loved working with Gary Kirsten and the other coaches. He remains confident that the next selection committee will make progressive decisions:
“Moreover, it was an honour to support Gary Kirsten & the coaching group as they set their vision for this team. I am confident that the team plans the coaches have put together will ensure this team continues to grow into a dominant force as we move forward, and I wish them the best of luck on that journey.”
“I am thankful to the people who have prayed for me. I wish nothing but success for the future of the Pakistan cricket team.”
The PCB might look to appoint an interim selection committee for a few months.