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Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq sacked from Pakistan's selection committee - ReportsĀ 

The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) revamp after the humiliating 2024 T20 World Cup exit begins with the axing of Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the selection committee. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the decision will be officially announced next week.

Wahab, a former Pakistan pacer, was appointed as chief selector last year. While he lost the role a few months back, he retained a place in the selection committee which was devoid of a leader. All members, including the PCB chairman, carried the same weight when it came to voting.

Razzaq, on the other hand, was on the selection committee of both the men's and women's national teams. The former all-rounder has served as Pakistan's interim and assistant coach in brief spells over the years as well.

A major shuffle in the selection committee was expected considering the backlash the squad received after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Babar Azam-led side's performances also did not help their case as the inclusions of Azam Khan and several others were criticized.

Furthermore, the move to re-integrate former cricketers like Imad Wasim and Mohammed Amir did not go down well with fans and pundits.

Pakistan Cricket Board likely to continue with a compact selection committee

The departures of Wahab and Razzaq leave PCB with five members in their selection committee, which include the captain and the head coach of the respective format, former cricketers Mohammed Yousuf and Asad Shafiq as well as Bilal Afzal, a data analyst.

Wahab had a meteoric rise after his playing career, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi playing a huge hand. The former pacer served as interim Punjab sports minister when Naqvi was chief minister of the province. Apart from serving on the selection committee, Wahab also had responsibilities as the senior team manager, a role he took on in the 2024 T20 World Cup, but not one he will continue in.

The PCB is likely to scrap the current selection committee layout which does not include a chief.

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