Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the new men’s national selection committee after the resignation of Aleem Dar. Former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed have been added to the selection panel to replace the experienced umpires.
According to the official website of PCB, the new four-member committee includes Aaqib Javed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq. The development comes days after Pakistan ended a disappointing campaign during the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Aleem Dar resigns as Pakistan men’s team selector after 17 months
Aleem Dar resigned from the selection committee after being repeatedly sidelined in key selection discussions. With his decision ending his 17-month tenure as a selector, he was appointed to a revised panel on October 11, 2024.
According to a report in Geo News, Dar stepped down after many of his selection decisions were ignored by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and T20I captain Salman Ali Aga.
Dar claimed that Hesson and Aga consistently picked the wrong final 15 for the World Cup squad. During these disagreements, senior selector Aaqib Javed reportedly did not offer any resistance.
Official – New Selection Committee of Pakistan.
Misbah Ul Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed have been added to the selection panel.#PakistanCricket #SarfarazAhmed pic.twitter.com/oMQdOTNH5c
– Shahnawaz Rajpar (@iamSkrajpar) 5 March 2026
Selectors’ disagreement over Babar Azam and Shadab Khan
Dar was not in favor of including experienced players Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan for the T20 World Cup 2026. He strongly opposed his selection and believed that better performing players should have been given priority instead.
The experienced umpire also proposed that wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan should bat at number six in place of Usman Khan, but his suggestion was ignored. Rizwan last played a T20 match for Pakistan in 2024 against South Africa and has not been recalled to the team since then.
Babar had a disappointing performance in the World Cup, scoring only 91 runs in four innings at a strike rate of just over one run-per-ball. The former Pakistan captain was eventually dropped from the playing eleven against Sri Lanka. Shadab took only five wickets with the ball during the tournament.
Pakistan’s forgettable T20 World Cup campaign
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign began with a narrow escape against the Netherlands and a win over the United States. However, the Salman Ali Aga-led team suffered a defeat against India in Colombo. The win over Namibia helped them reach the Super 8 stage as the second best team in Group A.
Their first match in the Super 8 stage against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain. After this they had to face defeat against England, due to which their semi-final hopes were derailed. Although they defeated Sri Lanka in their final match, the margin of victory was not enough to overcome New Zealand’s net run rate.
The Men in Green will next play a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in Dhaka from March 11 to 15. Babar Azam and Saim Ayub were dropped from the team, while Shaheen Afridi retained his place as ODI captain.
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