Pakistan selectors get more powers

The Pakistan Cricket Board has changed its selection policy, giving more powers to the selectors in picking the team for each match and effectively clipping the wings of coach and captain. Under the new system, which began with the current Test against West Indies at Multan, a touring selector will finalise the playing eleven after consulting the team management.

"The new policy is in line with that adopted by other cricket-playing nations like Australia and England," Saleem Altaf, the PCB's director of cricket operations told Reuters. "A selector will now remain attached with the team on tours and home series."

A source with the PCB cited the example of the selection of an allrounder ahead of a specialist seamer for the Multan Test.

"For the second test, coach Bob Woolmer wanted to play left arm pacer Samiullah Niazi," the source said. "But the majority view prevailed, that allrounder Abdul Razzaq should be retained from the first test team."

The new PCB regime, under Dr Nasim Ashraf, has been taking steps to ensure more professionalism in overall governance and team selections. One of the major decisions last month was to appoint full-time paid selectors after the World Cup next year to replace the existing committee, which works on an honorary basis.