Former fast bowler Wahab Riaz has been appointed as the chief selector of the Pakistan men’s selection committee. The announcement was made in a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday.
Expressing his gratitude, Riaz stated, “I am honoured to assume the role of chairperson for the national men’s selection committee, and I extend my gratitude to Chairman PCB Management Committee, Mr Zaka Ashraf, for entrusting me with this responsibility. The decision to involve former players in cricketing matters is commendable, and I am willing to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.”
Riaz’s first major responsibility will be the selection of the national men’s squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia scheduled from 14 December to 7 January in Australia. Following that, he will be tasked with choosing the squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from 12 to 21 January in New Zealand.
“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,” commented the newly appointed chief selector.
Highlighting his primary goal, Riaz emphasized giving weightage to top performers in domestic cricket and creating well-rounded squads with the necessary skillsets. He also mentioned his close working relationship with Pakistan Men’s Team Director Mohammad Hafeez, stating that they would collaborate closely for the success of Pakistan cricket.
“I will always be available to the players for feedback and advice,” added Riaz, who made his international debut in 2008 and represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs, and 36 T20Is, picking up 237 wickets and scoring 1200 runs across the three formats. Notably, he was Pakistan’s second-most successful bowler in World Cups, registering 35 wickets across three editions of the marquee event.
