Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the national Men’s Senior and Junior Selection Committee comprising seven members which will be tasked with selecting the national team squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in June.
The seven-member committee includes former cricketers, Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq, and Mohammad Yousuf along with the team captain (still undecided), head coach (still undecided) and a new data analyst.
While every name in the list seems normal, there is an issue when it comes to the data analyst. Following the unveiling of the list, it was revealed that Bilal Afzal, who has been appointed as the data analyst in the selection committee, is a politician and has links to the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.
Bilal Afzal has served as the Caretaker Minister for Environment Protection, Caretaker Minister For Forrest Wildlife and Fisheries and Caretaker Minister for Planning and Development during the tenure of the caretaker government under the stewardship of Anwaar Ul Haq Kakar.
The Minister held all of these important positions in the government of Punjab and now it seems he has also developed the expertise to become a cricket data analyst.
This is certainly a poignant reminder of where sports is heading in Pakistan and that certain people are only there to fill the quota seats in apparently high-profile positions.
The decision should be scrutinized as it seems like the PCB is making a blatant error of judgment. After restoring Haris Rauf’s central contract and convincing Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim to take back their retirement, this seems like the murder of meritocracy.
You are jealous of him and that is why you have written an article. This guy has power and he got the position. Rather than being jealous go and develop your links with Powerful people and establishment and stop complaining here.
Amir and Imad are pride of Pakistan PCB needs them what was our bowling doing in wc 2023 without them conceding 400 .
Without knowledge you are questioning his skills ?