PCB appoints Tauseef Ahmed as interim chief selector

Tauseef Ahmed (Photo Source: PCB)

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former cricketer Tauseef Ahmed as acting chief selector of the men’s national team in the midst of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. His appointment follows the resignation of Inzamam ul Haq last week. Inzamam resigned after a conflict of interest involving his ownership of stock in a sports management firm that trains a number of current national players surfaced.

Ahmed’s first task will be selecting Pakistan’s Test team for their forthcoming three-match series against hosts Australia, which begins on December 14. Perth will host the opening Test, while Melbourne and Sydney will hold the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests.

The 65-year-old has represented Pakistan between 1980 and 1993, playing 34 Test matches and 70 ODIs, picking up 148 wickets in total. The former off-spinner will have an advantage when choosing the Pakistani team based on the available conditions because he has participated in up to three Tests and thirteen ODIs in Australia.

Wajahatullah Wasti, a former cricketer, has also been named head of the junior selection committee. In six Test matches and fifteen ODIs between 1999 and 2000, Wasti amassed a total of 678 runs, which included two centuries in red-ball cricket and one white-ball fifty.

Pakistan will lock horns with England in Kolkata

Pakistan will take on defending champions England in their last group stage game in the ongoing ODI World Cup at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 11. Pakistan have a slimmer chance to advance to the semifinal of the competition with a victory. Meanwhile, a defeat will eliminate them from the competition.

With two victories, the 1992 champions got their campaign off to a good start. But they faltered after that, losing four straight games even though they have made an incredible comeback and won the last two games. With eight points, the Men in Green are now tied for fifth place in the ODI World Cup points standings with New Zealand and Afghanistan, who are ranked fourth and sixth, respectively.