LAHORE-The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed the appointment of former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Salman Butt as consultant members to chief selector Wahab Riaz.
The three have assumed their responsibilities in the selection panel with immediate effect. Their first assignment as consultant members to the chief selector includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on 12 January 2024 following the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia. When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members may be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps.
Kamran Akmal, in a 15-year career from 2002 to 2017, played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is. The former wicketkeeper-batter amassed 6,871 runs across formats and bagged 453 dismissals behind the stumps. He was a member of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 at Lord’s, along with his fellow consultants Rao Iftikhar and Salman Butt.
Rao Iftikhar played a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010 and took a total of 78 international wickets. Former Test captain Salman Butt represented Pakistan in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He made 5,209 runs spanning the three formats with 11 international centuries.
It is worth mentioning here that former pacer Wahab Riaz was appointed as the chief selector of the national men’s selection committee last month. In his first assignment, Wahab Riaz selected Pakistan’s 18-member Test squad for the three-match Test series against Australia from 14 December to 7 January in Australia.
Wahab, who made his international debut in 2008, represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is picking up 237 wickets and scoring 1200 runs across the three formats. He was Pakistan’s second-most successful bowler in World Cups, registering 35 wickets across three editions of the marquee event.