PCB revamps selection panel, adds retired umpire Aleem Dar to committee

Lahore: Recently-retired Test umpire Aleem Dar was among the prominent names added to Pakistan Cricket Board's revamped selection committee, hours after the national team suffered a humiliating innings and 47-run defeat to England despite scoring over 500 runs in the first essay.

The Test in Multan continued a horrendous home run for the Pakistan team, which had earlier lost a two-Test series to Bangladesh. The loss to England was the first time that a Test-playing nation ended up defeated despite posting 500-plus runs in the first innings.

Former Test players Aaqib Javed and Azhar Ali, along with analyst Hassan Cheema, a well known sports broadcaster who has served as manager of a franchise in Pakistan's Super League, have also been named in the panel.

Dar is the first umpire to get such a position from the Board.

Former Test batter Asad Shafiq was already on the committee after the resignation of Muhammad Yousuf a few days back as national selector.

The PCB said all the members would have voting rights.

But the Board didn't elaborate on whether head coaches, Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, would continue on the committee as voting members.

In the past, Aaqib has been a fierce critic of the PCB and the team.

Dar recently announced his retirement from international umpiring.

The 56-year-old officiated in 448 international matches during his over 20-year career. He will be bidding adieu to the profession at the end of Pakistan's 2024-25 domestic season.

Dar was a distinguished member of the ICC's Elite and International Panels since 2003. He won the David Shepherd Trophy for the ICC Umpire of the Year thrice in his career.

The PCB has revamped or changed the national selection committee several times since last year under two different board Chairmen.

The revamped selection committee's first task would be to pick the squad for the remaining two Tests against England followed by the selection of the Pakistan white-ball squads for the series in Australia and South Africa.