Aqib Javed likely to be removed from Pakistan selection committee as PCB pushes clean-up

Pakistan Cricket Board is likely to remove former Test cricketer and senior selector Aqib Javed from the national selection committee as part of wider “clean-up” operation being carried out behind scenes, a source close to board said.

The development comes days after senior players Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha were sent back from England, a decision that has triggered speculation about the selection policy and team management. “Aqib is also likely to be told to focus on his role as Director Development at the Lahore High Performance Centre,” the source said.

He claimed that sending back Rizwan, Imam and Salman was part of the PCB’s broader plan, with the first two being dropped not only for poor form but also over their behaviour in the dressing room. “The rest of the players sent back were done so on the recommendation of interim red-ball head coach Mike Hesson, who wanted to try out some players he had worked with in the white-ball camp,” the source said.

The source claimed that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was keen on a “clean-up” and that the selection committee could be the next area of change. “Aqib, who is considered the blue-eyed boy of the chairman, is also likely to be told to just focus on his role as Director Development at the Lahore High Performance Centre,” he said.