Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has resigned from his position as a member of the men’s national selection committee and head of youth development, sources said. Geographic news on Tuesday.
Azhar had joined the national selection committee in October 2024, along with former ICC elite umpire Aleem Dar and former Test pacer Aqib Javed.
The trio joined Asad Shafiq, who was already part of the panel. Their appointments came at a difficult time for Pakistan cricket, following an innings defeat in the Multan Test against England.
The revamped panel made headlines soon after, taking bold decisions like dropping star batsman Babar Azam and top pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah for the remaining two Tests of the series.
The controversial move sparked widespread debate but ultimately paid off as Pakistan bounced back and secured a remarkable 2-1 series victory.
In November 2024, a month after his appointment to the selection committee, Azhar was appointed Head of Youth Development at PCB following a formal recruitment process.
Azhar’s sudden departure from both roles comes as a surprise, particularly given the board’s focus on strengthening its player development framework.
The PCB has not yet officially commented on his resignation or the reasons for it.
A respected figure in Pakistan cricket, the right-handed batsman enjoyed a distinguished international career that spanned from 2010 to 2022, winning 97 Test and 53 ODI international matches.
He captained Pakistan in nine Tests and 31 ODIs and played a pivotal role in the country’s historic ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2017.
Statistically, the 40-year-old is among modern Pakistan’s greats, scoring 7,097 runs in 96 Test matches at an average of 42.49, making him the country’s fifth highest Test run-scorer after Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.
His career included 19 centuries and 34 half-centuries, beginning with a maiden Test fifty just two matches after his debut at Lord’s in 2010.
