Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is investigating team managers for not acting after star pacer Shaheen Afridi misbehaved with coaches and staff during tours, sources told Geo News on Wednesday.
This comes amid ongoing actions by the PCB, including the recent removal of Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the selection committee after the team’s poor performance and early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.
While Wahab continued to serve as the face of the men’s seven-member selection committee even after he was dismissed as committee chief earlier this year, Razzaq was a member of both the women’s and men’s selection committees.
Read Also: PCB Announces Home International Fixtures
In a statement released today, the PCB claimed that it had notified the two that their services were no longer required.
Senior manager Wahab has also been removed from the picture by the board, along with team manager Mansoor Rana.
According to the sources, Wahab and Razzaq gave undue advantages to some players, and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi only decided to fire the two after the inquiry into the subject was over.
It turned out that the players Wahab and Razzaq had backed were the ones who underperformed and were rebuffed by other selection committee members.
Additionally, the board is questioning players about the use of their lobbies and the advantages they provide.
According to additional sources, the team coaches have lodged complaints with the PCB chairman after recent tours’ disciplinary infractions and the players’ lack of seriousness.
The coaches have also brought up players’ families and how it affects their ability to concentrate on the game, lamenting that players talk negatively to one another.
Wahab rejects the forced selection committee
Wahab, meanwhile, has denied rumors that he put pressure on the selection committee in response to the board’s confirmation of his dismissal.
The former pacer posted on his X account, saying, “I don’t agree with the statements being discussed about adding pressure to the members of the selection committee.”
In response to a query about how one vote could outweigh six given that the selection committee had seven members, he emphasized that all of the details were recorded in the meeting minutes.
Wahab went on to say that he would be making a statement this evening.
It is noteworthy that the captain and head coach are among the members of the selection panel that the board has decided to keep, along with Muhammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq, and Bilal Afzal.
According to sources, Wahab was fired for refusing to step down when a top official advised him to accept responsibility for player selection and quit.