Misbah-ul-Haq Resigns As Pakistan Selector After Sweeping Changes In Test Squad

Misbah-ul-Haq resigns as Pakistan selector after sweeping changes in Test squad (Misbah, Inzamam and Hafeez appointed to PCB technical committee)

Pakistan Cricket Board: Misbah-ul-Haq has offered his resignation as selector of Pakistan's men's selection committee after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made sweeping changes to the squad for the ongoing three-match Test series against England.

Misbah was part of the four-member selection committee, which also includes Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Asad Shafiq and was formed in March earlier this year.

However, according to a Cricinfo report, the former Pakistan captain has offered to resign from the selection panel. The PCB has yet to accept his resignation, although Misbah has also reportedly resigned from his role as batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

This came a day after the PCB released seven players and head coach and bowling coach Sarfaraz Khan and Umar Gul from the Test squad, following their recent drubbing against England at Lord's. Pakistan have already conceded the series as England have an unassailable 2-0 lead following the 194-run win in the second game at Lord's. The PCB pushed the panic button and released Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad.

They also decided to bring in five uncapped players - Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah - to bolster the struggling squad, along with the capped Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal.

The shake-up extends beyond the playing squad, with red-ball head coach Sarfaraz and bowling coach Gul relieved of their duties following Pakistan's poor run of form, a stretch that also saw Shan Masood replaced by Babar Azam as Test captain.

White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke will take over backroom duties for the remainder of the tour. "Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released and will be replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke in the backroom staff," added the PCB.

The shake-up extends beyond the playing squad, with red-ball head coach Sarfaraz and bowling coach Gul relieved of their duties following Pakistan's poor run of form, a stretch that also saw Shan Masood replaced by Babar Azam as Test captain.

In 2023, two years later, he was roped in as an advisor by the then-chief of the ad hoc management committee, Zaka Ashraf, and has been with the PCB since. He worked as a mentor for the men's Champions Cup in 2024-25 and was also the coach of Pakistan Gold, leading them to the 50-over National Champions Cup.

Article Source: IANS