Misbah-ul-Haq Offers To Quit Selection Panel After PCB Makes Unilateral Changes to England Tour Squad

Misbah-ul-Haq offered to quit on Tuesday. He moved to exit the national selection committee after the Pakistan Cricket Board overhauled the touring Test squad and team management without his input. The decision came 24 hours after the cricket board demanded panel members explain their picks for the England tour.

The immediate trigger was a PCB notice sent a day earlier to members of the national selection committee seeking an explanation for the selection process used for the England tour. Misbah had been part of the PCB setup in different roles since late 2019 and was also upset at being left out of key decisions taken in England.

Selection Notice Details

The cricket body questioned specific inclusions, PTI reported. "The selectors have been told to explain on what basis Muhammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were picked in the Test squad," a reliable source in the board said.

The panel also includes Asad Shafiq and Aqib Javed. The cricket board demanded a formal explanation from the selectors over how they finalised the touring squad.

The development came a day before Misbah offered to quit the panel.

Misbah's Reported Objections

The formal notice angered the former captain. Misbah, who has served the PCB in multiple roles since late 2019, took issue with officials revising the travelling squad without seeking his input.

Pakistan were 0-2 down in the three-Test series after a 194-run defeat at Lord's. After that loss, the PCB dropped seven players from the Test squad and removed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul ahead of the third game.

Misbah was particularly unhappy that decisions were taken in England to alter the team and remove the two coaches while he was sidelined. "He has informed the board officials that he is ready to step down, but it was not right the way the board asked seven players to return from England and replaced them with other players with just one Test remaining in England," another source told PTI.

Career And Commitments

He held several key roles earlier. Misbah guided Pakistan as head coach in previous years while also functioning as chief selector and mentor.

His responsibilities expanded last year. Misbah took charge as batting coach at the high-performance centre while retaining his selector post. He concurrently handled broadcasting obligations alongside his role with a PSL franchise.