PCB seals and signs Babar Azam's fate!! Wahab Riaz and entire selection committee to be fired

Significant changes are expected in Pakistan's team management structure after their poor outing in the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan ended its campaign with a win over Ireland but that was not enough for them to secure a qualification to the Super Eight stage.

Pakistan were eliminated from the group stage for the first time in the tournament's history. Firstly, the Men in Green suffered a shocking defeat to the USA in the Super Over. Then, they went on to lose to arch-rivals India in a close encounter by 6 runs. Although they won their next two games against Canada and Ireland, that was not enough to secure their qualification.

PCB set to fire entire selection panel including Wahab Riaz

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating some drastic changes in the wake of the team's dismal show in the T20 World Cup 2024. According to the reports, key players are likely to be rested for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, which will be an opportunity to try out new players as well. 

After Pakistan's early exit, not only the players but the selectors have also come under the scanner. According to the reports, the PCB is considering dissolving the current selection panel and instead forming a new selection panel. The panel includes Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Yousuf, Wahab Riaz, Bilal Afzal, Hasan Cheema, and Secretary Usman Wahla. captain Babar Azam, and head coach Gary Kirsten.

Also read: "This is why we call them unpredictable"- Virender Sehwag crushes Babar Azam and Pakistan for their show vs Ireland

Mohammad Rizwan to replace Babar Azam as white-ball captain?

After the defeat, the captaincy of Babar Azam has also come under the scanner. It is believed that wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan will be his potential replacement, but the decision is not final yet. This is not the first time that Babar Azam's captaincy has been questioned. He left the captaincy after Pakistan's early exit from the ODI World Cup 2023.

Shaheen Afridi was given the captaincy duties for one T20I series against New Zealand but was sacked after the series defeat. Under the new PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Babar Azam returned to the captaincy fold again but could not take his team to the Super Eight stage in the T20 World Cup 2024. Meanwhile, Shan Masood will continue as Pakistan's Test captain.

The PCB is also planning to revise the criteria for central contracts, which will help in prioritizing performance over reputation. This means that the star cricketers can be relegated to the lower categories if they fail to perform. Similarly, the youngsters will be promoted if they produce good performances.

While Pakistan was eliminated from the first stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, India and the USA went on to qualify for the Super Eight stage from Group A. India topped the group while the USA finished second.