There seems to be no end to the drama surrounding Pakistan cricket following the men’s national team’s disappointing performance in the ongoing Test series against England. The PCB also decided to relieve head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul of their respective duties. After Pakistan’s 194-run defeat in the Lord’s Test, which handed England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally announced its decision to release seven players from the Test squad ahead of the final game, which gets underway next week.
Misbah-ul-Haq, who has previously worked as the national team’s head coach, chief selector and mentor, has been serving as a selector and batting coach at the high-performance centre since last year.
The fiasco did not stop there, as a day after the PCB’s announcement, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq reportedly decided to resign from the selection committee. Misbah was particularly unhappy with being sidelined while decisions were taken in England to alter the team and remove the head coach and bowling coach. Misbah, a former Pakistan captain who has worked in various capacities in the PCB since late 2019, was reportedly unhappy with the notice as well as the board’s decision to make changes to the touring squad without consulting or informing him.
However, according to a report by news agency PTI, Misbah’s offer came a day after the PCB issued a notice to members of the national selection committee seeking an explanation for the selection process adopted for the England tour. “The selectors have been told to explain on what basis Muhammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were picked in the Test squad,” the report quoted a PCB official as saying. “He has informed the board officials that he is ready to step down, but it was not right the way the board asked seven players to return from England and replaced them with other players with just one Test remaining in England,” another source said.
