Pakistan Cricket Board appoints Wahab Riaz as new chief selector for men's cricket team
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former fast bowler Wahab Riaz as the new chief selector of the senior men's team on Friday, November 17.
Riaz has represented Pakistan in 154 international matches. He announced his retirement from international cricket in August this year. However, he will continue to play franchise cricket.
The 38-year-old replaced Inzamam-ul-Haq, who resigned from his post during the 2023 World Cup over allegations of conflict of interest. Riaz's stint will commence with Pakistan's upcoming three-match Test series against Australia, slated to begin on December 14.
Reacting to his appointment, Wahab Riaz lauded the board's decision to rope in former cricketers for key roles.
"The decision to involve former players in cricketing matters is commendable and I am willing to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket," he said in a statement.
"Heading a selection committee is a challenging task. We have a significant Australia tour coming up that is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle and a T20I series against New Zealand that will allow us to develop a formidable unit leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June next year."
Interestingly, Wahab Riaz played under Babar Azam's captaincy during this year's Pakistan Super League (PSL 2023) for the Peshawar Zalmi.
The PCB has made several changes following Pakistan's group-stage exit at the 2023 World Cup. Babar Azam relinquished leadership across formats amid heavy criticisms.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi was named the new T20I captain, while senior batter Shan Masood was appointed to lead the Test team.
Furthermore, former all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is set to serve as the team director for Pakistan's men's team.
"My primary goal would be to give weightage to the top performers in domestic cricket" - Wahab Riaz
Wahab Riaz further stated that he shares a wonderful relationship with Mohammad Hafeez and that they will work closely for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.
He also asserted that players who do well in domestic cricket will be rewarded during his tenure. Riaz added:
"I have a good rapport with the Pakistan Men's Team Director Mohammad Hafeez and we will be working closely for the success of Pakistan cricket. My primary goal would be to give weightage to the top performers in domestic cricket and announce well-rounded squads equipped with the necessary skillsets. I will always be available to the players for feedback and advice."
Pakistan managed to win just four out of their nine matches at the 2023 World Cup. They failed to make the cut for the all-important semi-final, finishing fifth in the points table.