Shoaib Akhtar reveals name of new chief selector

Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has revvealed the name of new chief selector of the national cricket team after it was announced that Misbah ul Haq would quit the job to focus on coaching role.

Akhtar, who was also being tipped for the prized job, took to Twitter on Wednesday to disclose the name of Misbah’s likely replacement.

“From what my sources tell me, Muhammad Akram will be the new chief selector. Good luck to him on this tricky but important position,” Akhtar tweeted.

From what my sources tell me, Muhammad Akram will be the new chief selector. Good luck to him on this tricky but important position.

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 14, 2020

According to the cricket board, Misbah-ul-Haq has decided to step down from the chief selector’s responsibilities to concentrate and focus on the head coach’s role of the men’s national team.

The new chief selector will begin his tenure from 1 December and until then, Misbah will continue to carry out selection responsibilities.

The decision means Misbah will announce the squads for the home series against Zimbabwe on 19 October and then for the away series against New Zealand.

The first assignment of the new chief selector will be to select the squads for the January home series against South Africa, comprising two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals.

Misbah communicated his decision to PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan in Islamabad last week during the National T20 Cup.

Commenting on his decision, Misbah-ul-Haq said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the dual roles but after reviewing the past 12 months and looking ahead at the workload in the next 24 months of my tenure, it is appropriate that I invest and dedicate all my time, energy and attention to one role from now on.

“Coaching is my passion and my ultimate objective remains to contribute to the development of players and help the side achieve bigger successes. When I was appointed last year, I was offered the coaching role first and then given the option to also head the selection committee, which I had graciously accepted.

“I am grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for their understanding and for supporting my thought process.

“I had been thinking about the demands and rigours of the dual roles for some time. The meetings with the National High Performance staff and the Cricket Association coaches in the past two weeks have provided me better clarity and helped me in my decision-making as I believe we now have a strong system in place.

“With the new Cricket Association system in full flow, the chief selector has to be able to watch as much domestic cricket as possible. With a big 24 months now coming up, we have mutually agreed that there is a need for me now to be fully focused on one role.

“I look forward to a strong working relationship with the new chair of the selection committee and hope together we will achieve our collective objectives.”