PCB appoints Muhammad Wasim as chief selector, Saleem Yousuf to head cricket committee

• Mohammad Wasim will take over from Misbah-ul-Haq 
• Muhammad Wasim and Saleem Yousuf have been appointed till 2023 World Cup 
• Saleem Yousuf had last served the PCB in 2013, Mohammad Wasim is the head coach of Northern Cricket Association

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday appointed former batsman and Head Coach of Northern Cricket Association Mohammad Wasim as the chairman of the national selection committee and Saleem Yousuf as the chair of the PCB Cricket Committee.

Wasim will be taking over from Misbah-ul-Haq who was given the additional charge of the selection committee along with his head coach role.

“Muhammad Wasim has been appointed as the Chairman of the Pakistan men’s national selection committee, while Saleem Yousuf has been confirmed as the Chair of the PCB Cricket Committee. To ensure consistency and continuity, both have been appointed till the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023,” read the PCB statement.

The PCB said that both the appointments were confirmed after Chairman Ehsan Mani completed the final round of online interviews on Thursday and Friday.

PCB CEO Wasim Khan said that Muhammad Wasim and Saleem Yousuf have “sound knowledge of cricket, understand the rigours and demands of the modern game and are highly respected across the cricket fraternity”.

Read more: PCB appoints Younis Khan as batting coach till 2022 T20 World Cup

“Both the gentlemen are also aligned to the PCB’s five-year strategic pillar of strengthening our merit and opportunity-based domestic structure, as well as improving our international rankings across all formats,” said the PCB CEO.

Khan said that they had appointed Muhammad as a part the PCB’s strategy to “groom, develop and provide leadership opportunities to talented cricketers”.

“He is young, progressive and bold thinker who is in sync with our new High Performance Player Framework, and is one of very few people who are completely aware of the pool of talented cricketers available at the domestic level,” he said.

The PCB said that Wasim’s first assignment will be to select the Pakistan side for the two Tests and three T20Is series against South Africa scheduled for mid-January.

Read more: Who will be the next chief selector of Pakistan cricket team?

The 43-year-old was already a member of the Misbah-ul-Haq’s selection panel till November 30 by being the head coach of the Northern Cricket Association.

His domestic side is currently second on the points table of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy behind first placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Last season, his side won the National T20 Cup and finished runners-up in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The PCB said that the former batsman will take charge after the end of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy’s final which will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi from January 1, 2021.

“There is no change to the composition of the selection committee and head coaches of the six first XI Cricket Association sides will continue to serve on the panel,” said the PCB. It added that whoever will replace Wasim at the Northern Cricket Association will become the sixth member of the selection committee.

“We have a busy 2021 year ahead and I will focus on being positive on selections that not only address our short-term needs but also fulfil our long-term ambitions,” said Wasim in a statement shared by PCB. He said that the country has “immense talent”, adding that it is important to give them opportunities.

Read more: Misbah-ul-Haq announces he is resigning as Pakistan’s chief selector

“This is a performance-oriented world and, as such, my philosophy will be to promote meritocracy and select squads according to home and international conditions and requirements. As a chief selector, I will always be willing to make the hard calls, if these are in the best interest of Pakistan cricket,” said Wasim.

Saleem Yousuf appointed chair of Cricket Committee

The PCB also appointed former wicketkeeper Saleem Yousuf as the chair of the cricket committee with the panel set to meet in Karachi in the lead up to the first Test against South Africa.

The committee advises PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani on cricket-related matters, including but not limited to the performances of the national cricket teams and their management, domestic cricket structure, high-performance centres and playing conditions.

“The committee has the powers to invite relevant personnel for its quarterly meetings to assist as part of its evaluation, assessment and recommendation process,” said the PCB statement.

Saleem Yousuf had last served the PCB as a member of the national selection committee from 2013-2015.

Read more: PCB mulls approaching former skipper Wasim Akram to solve cricket committee woes

Yousuf will head the panel that presently includes Ali Naqvi (match officials’ representative), Umar Gul (current cricketers’ representative), Urooj Mumtaz (women cricketers’ representative), and Wasim Akram (former cricketers’ representative).

Yousuf called the opportunity an “honour” to lead a group “which boasts some highly respected and knowledgeable people”.

“With the support of my colleagues on this committee, I look forward to making a significant contribution so that we can continue to move Pakistan cricket forward,” said Yousuf.