In a significant move, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to lessen the role of the national selection committee in awarding the central contract to players for the new tenure.
The selection committee used to not only pick 40 to 45 players for the central contract, but also classify them in categories ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ besides including some names in the list of retainer.
However, Dawn has learnt that now the selectors will only be allowed to hand over the list of recommended players, who are eligible for the central contract, while the PCB management will decide the category of each and every player.
So far the selection committee has not taken any step to finalise the list of the players for the next tenure which has already started from July 1.
Hopefully, the selection committee will start working on the new pattern after receiving instructions from the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, currently on leave.
Since a paid selection committee has been working for the last several years, it is feared that this cut in its power will make the selection body nothing but a dummy.
The selectors already lack authority in their work. Their job is just to pick a 15- or 16-player squad for a series while finalising the playing XI is the domain of the touring selection committee comprising coach, captain and manager.
Not to forget a tussle-like situation already exists between selectors and touring selection committee on selection matters.
It may be mentioned here that during Pakistan team’s tour to the West Indies earlier this year, chief selector Mohsin Khan was about to bring the same matter to light by announcing to address a news conference in Karachi.
However, Mohsin later received a strict PCB warning of severe consequences in case of any press talk, ultimately resulting in the chief selector abruptly cancelling his scheduled conference.
But sources said the selection committee is still not happy with the sweeping role of the touring selection committee in finalising playing XI.
The selectors complain that the touring selection committee failed on many occasions in the past in picking the right playing XI, as they don’t consider the playing conditions at a specific venue.
Interestingly, there have been media reports of disagreement over team selection matters even within the touring selection committee — between former limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi and head coach Waqar Younis — in recent past
news covered by dawn sports
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