Misbah-ul-Haq resigns from Pakistan men's national selection committee: Details here
What's the story
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has resigned from the men's national selection committee, Cricinfo reported. The decision comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during their ongoing England tour. However, it remains unclear if PCB has accepted Misbah's resignation yet. He has also decided to step down as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Resignation details
Pakistan lost the 2nd Test at Lord's
Misbah's resignation comes after Pakistan lost the second Test by 194 runs at Lord's, trailing 0-2 in the three-match series.
The PCB responded with a mid-series overhaul, releasing seven players from the squad ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston on September 9.
Among those released were Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad.
Squad changes
Five uncapped players included
Continuing the overhaul, Pakistan included five uncapped players in their squad for the final Test.
The new entrants are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah.
They join Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches.
This is part of PCB's effort to revamp the team after their disappointing performance in the series so far.
Information
Pakistan's squad for 3rd Test
Updated squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah.
Career trajectory
Misbah held several positions within the PCB
Misbah, who retired as Pakistan's most successful Test captain in 2017, has held several positions within the PCB.
He was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019 but resigned from the latter role in October 2020 to focus on coaching.
In 2023, he returned to the PCB as an advisor under then ad hoc management committee chief Zaka Ashraf.
His recent decision now threatens to remove another experienced figure from a system already being reshaped at considerable speed.