Pakistan’s senior men’s selection structure has been updated, with the Pakistan Cricket Board formally adding Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed to the National Selection Committee.
The update appears on the PCB’s official website, where the revised four-member panel now lists Aqib Javed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq as members of the Senior Men’s National Selection Committee.
PCB brings two former captains into selection panel
The inclusion of Misbah and Sarfaraz adds two experienced former Pakistan captains to the group responsible for national team selection as the board reshapes its decision-making structure following a disappointing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Misbah remains one of the most influential figures in Pakistan cricket in the modern era. The former captain led Pakistan to 26 Test victories in 56 matches and later served the national side as Head Coach and Chief Selector after retiring from international cricket.
Sarfaraz, who captained Pakistan to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy title, has increasingly taken on responsibilities within the board’s structure. In recent months he has worked with the Pakistan Under-19 setup and has also been linked with coaching roles within the red-ball framework.
The changes to the committee come after former international umpire Aleem Dar stepped down from the panel earlier, as previously reported by Cricexec.
Aleem Dar exit followed disagreements over squad selection
Dar’s resignation was linked to disagreements during discussions around Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup.
“Aleem is very upset that when the World Cup squad was being selected, he had resisted the inclusion of Babar Azam and Shadab Khan in the squad without any performance, but Hesson insisted on having them,” a source told PTI.
The same source suggested Dar had also pushed for a different approach regarding Pakistan’s wicketkeeping options during the selection process.
“Aleem had also insisted that when Babar and Shadab could be called in without performance, Muhammad Rizwan should be included in place of Usman Khan because of his experience, but no one supported him,” the source added.
His departure created a vacancy in the committee, with the PCB now expanding the panel to include both Misbah and Sarfaraz.
Reports indicate PCB leaning toward leadership continuity
Alongside the selection committee reshuffle, reports suggest the PCB is unlikely to introduce sweeping changes to Pakistan’s white-ball leadership despite the team’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
According to reports, the board intends to maintain continuity in the limited-overs setup. Head Coach Mike Hesson is expected to continue in his role under the terms of his contract, while Salman Ali Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi are set to retain leadership responsibilities within the national side.
The approach signals that while the PCB is refreshing its selection structure by bringing experienced figures into the panel, it is simultaneously leaning toward stability within the team’s leadership group.
