The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has curtailed the say of Test skipper Shan Masood and coach Jason Gillespie in terms of team selection for their alleged pro-Babar Azam attitude. The star batter was dropped from the squad for PAK vs BAN 2nd and 3rd Tests after 18 consecutive flops in the longest format of the game. Complete authority over team selection has been entrusted on the revamped selection committee while the coach and captain are restricted from having their say.
How Babar Azam forced Shan Masood and Gillespie into corner?
As per Cricket Pakistan, both Shan Masood and Jason Gillespie backed Babar Azam to retain his spot in the playing XI despite his poor form. The report claims that this is one of the reasons why the PCB decided to curtail the rights of the captain and the coach. The decision to drop Babar Azam came after a lengthy discussion between the selection committee, Masood, Gillespie, and Usman Wahla (PCB’s director for international cricket operations) during Pakistan’s training session.
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No more say in Pakistan team selection for Shan Masood, Gillespie
As per the report, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi decided that the complete authority on selection has been entrusted on the revamped selection committee. Additionally, it states that Masood and Gillespie were consulted while the playing XI for PAK vs ENG 2nd Test was picked but their say was curtailed. The selection committee comprises of Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, analyst Hasan Cheema and old member, Asad Shafiq.
“The playing eleven for the second Test (against England) has been finalised after consulting Shan and Gillispie but like until the first Test they no longer have final say in the selection of the playing eleven,” a source said, as per the report.
“The surprising thing is that the selectors are in Multan and have been in charge of talking to the ground staff about the pitch for the second Test and even have final authority on what sort of strategy would be adopted for the match,” the source said.
