(Web Desk) — Former star cricketer Wahab Riaz has responded to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to remove him from the national selection committee, asserting that he gave his “100% for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.”
In a statement issued today, the PCB confirmed that the services of Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz are no longer required in the selection committee following the team’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Reacting to the news, Wahab Riaz took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his thoughts: “My time serving as a member of the selection committee for PCB has come to an end. I want my people to know that I have served the game I love with faith and sincerity, giving 100 percent for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.”
Riaz continued, “It has been an honor to serve as part of the selection panel. Making collaborative decisions as part of the seven-man panel to select the national team was a privilege. Everyone’s vote carried equal weight, and we made selection decisions as a team, sharing the responsibility equally. It was an honor to contribute my part to that.”
He concluded his statement by thanking his supporters: “I am thankful to the people who have prayed for me. I wish nothing but success for the future of the Pakistan cricket team.”
The board has retained Mohammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq, and Bilal Afzal in the selection panel, which also includes the captain and head coach.
Earlier, Wahab dismissed reports suggesting that he had pressured the selection committee. “I don’t agree with the statements being discussed about adding pressure to the members of the selection committee,” the former pacer stated in a post on X. He questioned how one vote could dominate six others, emphasizing that everything was documented in the minutes of the meetings.
In addition to his removal from the selection committee, Riaz was also sacked as the senior team manager of the men’s side. The PCB cited a lack of discipline during the last three tours of the national men’s team as the reason for removing both Wahab and Manager Mansoor Rana.
Pakistan recently toured Ireland and England for T20I series before heading to the United States and West Indies for the T20 World Cup 2024, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage.
