Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, Pakistan white-ball and Test team coaches respectively, have been included in the selection committee by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), reports have stated. This comes after head selector Wahab Riaz and fellow selector Abdul Razzaq were removed from their positions recently.
Pakistan Cricket Board is currently overhauling the system for the Pakistan team, after their poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan failed to qualify for the second round in the tournament which was held in the USA and the Caribbean. They lost to the USA and India and despite wins over Ireland and Canada, Pakistan failed to make it into the Super 8s round due to poor NRR.
This led to a lot of backlash back home and as a result, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said that the board will conduct a ‘surgery’ for the ailing Pakistan team.
Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie join the Selection Committee
The first step of the surgery is reconstructing the selection panel and now coaches of both Pakistan white-ball and Test teams will be part of the committee. The committee includes renowned former cricketers Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, and esteemed coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten.
Captains Shan Masood and Babar Azam, leading the men’s white-ball and red-ball teams, respectively, will also play integral roles in the selection committee.
Pakistan players to undergo fitness tests every 3 months; central contract duration reduced to one year
Amongst some other reported decisions in the PCB meetings, the Pakistani players will also undergo fitness tests every 3 months. This is to keep a tab on the physical and mental aspects of the Men in Green players.
While it was reported that PCB might also revise the central contract and reduce the amount given to the players as a punishment for poor performance in the T20 World Cup, better sense prevailed and the decision to reduce the compensation has been deferred.
Instead, the period of the contract has been reduced from three years to one year. This central contract will be revised after every year with perks and punishment being meted out based on the performance of the players. Fitness will also be a crucial criterion for a player to maintain their prime central contract.
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