Pakistan cricket’s selection chaos ahead of the England challenge

In recent years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has become synonymous with chaos, constant changes, and controversies.

From leadership shifts to captaincy drama, Pakistan cricket has become a rollercoaster ride, keeping its passionate followers on the edge of their seats. The board’s inconsistent policies, controversial selections, and frequent U-turns add to the ongoing turbulence within the team’s structure.

Just last week on Tuesday, the Pakistan cricket selectors announced a 15-player squad for the first Test against England, which is set to take place in Multan from October 7 to 11. While this announcement should have provided clarity, it instead sparked controversy and frustration among fans and experts alike.

One of the major points of contention was the exclusion of several promising performers from the recently-concluded Champions Cup. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier indicated that this tournament would serve as a proving ground for young talent, yet some of these standout players were left out of the squad.

Prolific batter Kamran Ghulam celebrates after hitting century against the Panthers in the opening game of the Champions Cup.PCB

Kamran Ghulam, a notable omission, has been a consistent performer in Pakistan’s domestic circuit. He was part of the Bangladesh Test squad earlier but did not play a single match. More recently, in the four-day match against Bangladesh A in Darwin, Ghulam demonstrated his form with a century. In the recently-concluded Champions Cup, he was the second leading run-scorer (250 runs), including hitting two centuries. Despite this, Ghulam did not make the cut for the England series, leaving many questioning the selection process.

Zahid Mahmood, another snubbed player, is Pakistan’s top-performing spinner in the Champions Cup with 10 wickets in just six matches. Mahmood also delivered a standout performance during England’s last tour of Pakistan, where he took 12 wickets in two Tests. Despite his contributions, he too was overlooked for the initial squad.

Backlash over selection

The backlash was swift, and in response, the PCB issued a statement on Thursday, adding Zahid Mahmood to the pre-Test camp in Multan as the 16th player. However, the final squad will still be trimmed to 15 before the series kicks off on October 7.

The board also announced Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali as reserve players and clarified that they would remain part of the Test setup but would continue playing domestic cricket to stay match-ready. According to the PCB, it would be more beneficial for these players to gain playing time rather than sit on the sidelines during the series.

The handling of the squad announcement and subsequent public response highlights the ongoing issue of transparency within the PCB. Fans and critics are left wondering why promising young players who have proven themselves on the domestic stage are not being given the opportunity to shine on the international platform.

Why did Yousuf quit?

Five days after the squad announcement, the situation took another unexpected turn when Mohammad Yousuf, a key member of the Pakistan selection committee, announced his resignation. Yousuf, a legendary figure in Pakistan cricket, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was stepping down for "personal reasons."

The PCB released a statement shortly afterward, thanking Yousuf for his service and acknowledging that he voluntarily stepped down to focus on other responsibilities within the board. Yousuf remains involved in Pakistan cricket as a batting coach at the National High-Performance Centre.

Mohammad Yousuf conducts a drill in Rawalpindi in 2022.AFP

However, media reports suggest that Yousuf’s resignation may have been influenced by disagreements over the squad selection. He had reportedly pushed for the inclusion of Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, and Zahid Mahmood while advocating for drop out-of-form opener Abdullah Shafiq. However, Yousuf’s stance did not align with that of captain Shan Masood, head coach Jason Gillespie, and fellow selector Asad Shafiq, leading to his decision to step down. Not wanting to be a "dummy selector," Yousuf chose to exit his role rather than compromise his principles.

Gillespie defends selection

This scenario shows the ongoing struggles within the Pakistan cricket selection process. A day before Yousuf’s resignation, Test coach Jason Gillespie stressed in a PCB podcast that he is committed to giving players a fair chance to secure their place in the team. Gillespie emphasized that backing and supporting players is critical, and that chopping and changing teams based on short-term performances does not benefit the team’s long-term goals.

"Look, all players are disappointed when they miss out. I'd be surprised if they weren't," Gillespie said. "I'm relatively new to this role and I´ve only been involved in two test matches. That's not a big enough sample size to make long-term decisions on players. I´d rather show my support and backing for them at this stage."

Pakistan's Test coach Jason Gillespie at a press conference in Karachi in July, 2024.AFP

For the first Test against England, Pakistan have retained almost the same squad that lost 2-0 to Bangladesh recently. Among the notable inclusions is left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who was previously overlooked for the Bangladesh series. He will join leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed as the second specialist spin option for the England series. Despite Pakistan's poor recent form, Gillespie is determined to instill stability in the squad, explaining that the sample size of recent performances is not large enough to justify drastic changes at this stage.

Gillespie’s approach may be pragmatic in the long term, but for Yousuf, it represented a missed opportunity to reward domestic performers and address Pakistan’s ongoing slump in Test cricket. The national team has lost six of its last 10 home Test matches, and Yousuf was likely seeking fresh energy and new faces to reverse this trend. By retaining the core of a squad that had underperformed in recent series, the selectors missed an opportunity to signal a shift in strategy — something Yousuf believed was necessary.

The series against England marks a critical opportunity for Pakistan to restore some pride, especially after being whitewashed 3-0 by the same opponents in 2022.

The volatility within the Pakistan selection committee has reached new heights in recent months. Wahab Riaz was appointed chief selector late last year, only to oversee series losses against Australia and New Zealand. In March, Mohsin Naqvi revamped the selection committee, removing the chief selector role and giving each selector equal authority. The early exit from the T20 World Cup in June prompted further changes, with Wahab and Abdul Razzaq being sacked. Now, Yousuf’s resignation leaves Asad Shafiq as the sole voting member of the selection committee, outside of the captains and coaches.

With Yousuf’s departure, questions loom over the future direction of Pakistan’s selection policy. The next challenge for the committee will be to finalize the squad for the remainder of the Test series against England, with the first Test beginning in Multan on October 7.

As the Pakistan men’s cricket team prepares to assemble in Multan for training sessions starting October 2, they will aim to shift focus from internal chaos to the task at hand: winning crucial Test matches against England.