Akmal has assumed significant status in selection matters in the country by also being named chair of the PCB’s Junior Selection Committee. Additionally, Akmal has been appointed chair of an eight-member selection committee, which will conduct U13, U16 and U19 trials for the selection of regional and district teams.
After a shake-up of the PCB last month which saw Najam Sethi return as the head, Shahid Afridi was named the interim chief selector with Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Ajum as the others in the three-member committee.
Rasheed, 69, was eventually announced as head of the selection panel, having previously saved the role in 2015 and 2016. It was after Afridi – whom Sethi had wanted for a longer duration – declined citing busy schedule with his foundation and charity work.
Akmal, 41, played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Pakistan between 2002 and 2017, scoring over 6,000 runs across formats. With 1972 runs in 75 games in the Pakistan Super League, he is the second in the list of most runs in the competition, playing for Peshawar Zalmi. Sami, also 41, picked up 227 wickets across formats in 136 appearances, the last of which came in 2016 while Hameed scored over 3,500 runs in over 80 appearances for Pakistan across Tests and ODIs.
Akmal will head the Junior Selection Committee comprising Tauseef Ahmed, Arshad Khan, Shahid Nazir and Shoaib Khan.
