The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, and Salman Butt as consultant members to chief selector Wahab Riaz, as the board overhauls the structure after the national side’s disastrous performance at the World Cup.
“The three have assumed their responsibilities in the selection panel with immediate effect,” the PCB said in a statement.
“Their first assignment as consultant members to the chief selector includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on January 12, 2024, following the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia.”
When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members might be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps.
A complete overhaul of the national board started after Pakistan did not make it to the knock out stage of the Men’s 50-over World Cup.
It started with Babar Azam who stepped down as the national team’s skipper in all three formats of the game, as many cricket aficionados blamed his captaincy for the side’s performance.
Shan Masood was named the Test team’s captain while Shaheen Shah Afridi was named T20 team’s skipper.
Last month, former Test captain Mohammad Hafeez was appointed Pakistan Men’s Team Director. Later, Wahab Riaz was appointed as the chief selector of the national men’s selection committee, with the first task to announce the side for the Australia tour.
Consulting members
Kamran Akmal played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is. The former wicketkeeper-batter amassed 6,871 runs across formats and bagged 453 dismissals behind the stumps. He was a member of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2009 at Lord’s.
Rao Iftikhar played a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010 and took a total of 78 international wickets. He was also part of the side that lifted the T20I World Cup in 2009.
Former Test captain Salman Butt represented Pakistan in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He made 5,209 runs spanning the three formats with 11 international centuries. He was in the T20I World Cup winning squad in 2009.
