Shahid Afridi named interim chief selector of Pakistan men's team

Shahid Afridi has been named the interim chief selector of the Pakistan men's national team, with his one-time team-mates Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum part of the three-man committee. For now, the appointment is only for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, and the committee has been tasked with reviewing the Test squad that was announced by the panel led by Mohammad Wasim before he was removed from the position of chief selector as part of an overhaul at the PCB.

Saying that he was hoping for "brave and bold decisions" from the new committee, Najam Sethi, PCB management committee chair, said in a statement, "Shahid Afridi has been an attacking cricketer who played all his cricket with no fear. He has nearly 20 years of cricket experience, has featured in all formats with significant success and more importantly, has always backed and supported young talent.

"So, in our collective opinion, there is no better person than him to understand the rigours, demands and challenges of the modern day game. I remain confident that through his insight and knowledge of the game, he will help Pakistan select the best and most deserving players, and contribute in the side's success in the upcoming series."

The new PCB management committee, which assumed office on Thursday, disbanded all committees formed under the now-defunct 2019 constitution, including the selection committee, on Friday.

Afridi was originally named in the management committee, but opted out saying that he wouldn't be able to do justice to the job as he wanted to focus on his charitable foundation. He, however, took part in the first meeting of the new management committee on Friday, joining via through a video link.

"I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling this responsibility to the best of my abilities," Afridi said. "We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform strongly in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the confidence of our fans.

"I will soon convene a meeting of the selectors and will share my plans with reference to the upcoming matches."

Razzaq, the former allrounder who has established himself as a coach in recent years, resigned from his position as assistant coach of Central Punjab in September this year, while Iftikhar was working as a coach at the PCB's National High Performance Centre in Lahore before the new appointment.