Mohammad Hafeez, former Pakistan captain and all-rounder, is likely to be appointed as the national team’s chief selector after the current Sri Lanka tour. The new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Cricket Management Committee (CMC), Zaka Ashraf, is in favor of Hafeez for the role, as the previous CMC was dissolved in June, leaving the position vacant.
Zaka Ashraf held discussions with former captain Rashid Latif and Mohammad Hafeez about the chief selector position. While Rashid showed more interest in anti-corruption matters, Hafeez expressed his availability and eagerness to take on the challenge of becoming the chief selector. Hafeez, who retired from international cricket last year, played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20Is for Pakistan.
The previous CMC was headed by Najam Sethi, and Haroon Rasheed was the chairperson of the national selection committee. However, with the dissolution of the previous CMC, Haroon Rasheed is technically no longer the chairperson of the selection committee.
Zaka Ashraf is contemplating whether to change the entire selection committee, which was formed by Sethi in consultation with Mickey Arthur, or just appoint a new chief selector to replace Rasheed. Given the busy schedule of the Pakistan team after the Sri Lanka tour, where they have an ODI series in Sri Lanka against Afghanistan in August before the Asia Cup, it is unlikely that the entire selection committee will be changed.
Ashraf also plans to make other changes relating to the Pakistan team, including appointing a new team manager and media manager for the Asia Cup and the World Cup India. Naveed Akram Cheema is a strong candidate to become the team manager, replacing Rehan ul Haq.
The new CMC, which has a four-month mandate, has been tasked with conducting fresh elections for all affiliated regional associations, reviving departmental teams, and forming a new board of governors to elect a new chairman. They have already started implementing changes in the board’s corporate structure.
