Former International Umpire Aleem Dar has resigned from the men’s national selection committee of Pakistan after he became frustrated with the internal workings of the committee following a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign of the team.
According to sources, the 57-year-old felt increasingly sidelined during selection discussions, and felt that the decisions were being dominated by head coach Mike Hesson.
Dar was also reportedly not happy about the position of fellow selector Aqib Javed who was reported to consistently fall in on the coach’s side in deliberations.
Dar was especially against the selection of Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan in World Cup squad.
During discussions among the team internally, he is reported to have advocated for Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter, to be moved to the No. 6 especially if chances were being given to inconsistent players then Rizwan deserved as much support from the selection panel.
Insiders also say that the atmosphere in the committee contributed to Dar’s frustration. While Aqib Javed was perceived to be siding with the coach’s views, former captain Misbah-ul-Haq is said to have been quiet on a number of key decisions.
The absence of robust debate and independent opinions supposedly made Dar to feel alone and that his inputs were not being given the necessary importance.
Despite the fallout inside the selection committee, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made the decision of not changing the leadership structure of the white ball team.
The board has kept Mike Hesson as head coach and still supports Shaheen Afridi as the Captain.
Under Hesson and Shaheen Afridi, preparations have been already started for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Pakistan’s world cup journey ended abruptly when they failed to make it to the semi-finals.
Also read: Mohammad Yousuf slams Babar Azam’s omission from ODI squad
