The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formed an oversight committee to monitor player selection and other related matters, according to media reports on Thursday.

 

Former Pakistan cricketers Sikandar Bakht and Sarfaraz Ahmed will reportedly lead the committee, which will also review and address issues within the domestic cricket circuit.

 

 

Meanwhile, changes in the national team leadership are under discussion. According to sources, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is likely to be removed as Pakistan's ODI captain. A final decision on the matter is expected in the coming days.

 

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has already begun consultations regarding a potential change in captaincy. Among the possible candidates, current T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha is being considered a strong contender to take over the 50-over format as well. Along with the new captain, Hesson is also expected to name a new vice-captain.

 

Earlier, there were reports that all-rounder Salman Ali Agha will soon be named Pakistan's Test captain.

 

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), former cricketer Basit Ali shared a picture of Salman and captioned it, "Congratulations on the red-ball captaincy too, one captain for all three formats."

 

Salman recently led Pakistan to a clean sweep over Bangladesh in a home T20I series, boosting his chances as a candidate for the Test captaincy. Reports suggest he could replace current Test captain Saud Shakeel in the red-ball format.

 

Salman is already the vice-captain of the Test team and is currently leading Pakistan in T20Is. Basit's statement has triggered discussions in cricket circles, although the PCB has yet to make any official announcement.

 

Sources indicate that two names are being considered for the Test captaincy: Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha, with Salman emerging as the favourite.

 

In November 2023, opener Shan Masood was appointed as Test captain, but Pakistan managed only three wins out of 12 Tests under his leadership, losing nine. Their disappointing run in the ICC World Test Championship, where they ended at the bottom of the table, has added pressure on the board to make a leadership change.

 

Currently, Pakistan is ranked ninth in the WTC standings and has suffered a whitewash series of defeats against Australia, Bangladesh, and South Africa.