Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq Removed from Pakistan Selection Committee After Poor T20 World Cup

July 10, 2024 0 652

Following Pakistan’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, the PCB has removed Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from their roles as selectors, with plans to reconstitute the selection committee.

Pakistan’s men’s cricket team struggled in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 held in the West Indies and USA. Led by Babar Azam, they faced surprising defeats against the USA and India in the Group A matches on June 6 and 9, respectively, in Dallas and New York, resulting in an early exit from the tournament.

In response, the PCB pledged significant changes and announced the dismissal of former pacer Wahab Riaz and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from the selection committee on July 10. Razzaq, who was recently appointed to the selection committees for both men’s and women’s teams, will no longer serve as a women’s team selector.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board … has notified Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz that their services will no longer be required in the national selection committee set up,” the PCB said in a statement.

According to ESPNCricinfo, the PCB plans to reconstitute the selection committee and appoint a new chief selector. Wahab, previously removed from his chief selector role, was part of a committee without a chief and had accompanied the team to the T20 World Cup as senior team manager, a position he is also likely to lose.

Following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, Babar Azam’s captaincy had also come under scrutiny from fans and experts. Babar, who stepped down as captain in all formats last year after Pakistan’s failure to reach the ODI World Cup 2023 semi-finals, was reappointed as T20I captain in March 2024 after a leadership change in the Pakistan Cricket Board. With criticism mounting, it remains uncertain whether Babar will continue to lead the team in the shortest format.