Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has backed new chief selector Wahab Riaz and team director Mohammad Hafeez and wants them to trust their decisions and not hold press conferences quite often.
The newly appointed panel picked the squad for the Test series against Australia, starting on December 14. The squad featured some new faces including new Test captain Shan Masood after Babar Azam stepped down from the leadership role in all formats following the ODI World Cup debacle last month.
Akram further urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to give some time to the new management to prove their mettle.
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“Don’t hold press conferences every three minutes. Stick to your decisions and be brave. Mohammad Hafeez has joined the Pakistan Cricket Board as team director and Wahab Riaz has taken over as chief selector, Kamran Akmal and all others. These are present cricketers. This is their time and let’s give them at least one year to prove themselves,” Akram said in a video posted on X.
Apart from Hafeez and Riaz, PCB appointed Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal as fast bowling and spin bowling coaches respectively. However, the appointment of former captain Salman Butt as a consultant to chief selector was revoked after strong criticism from Pakistan media and former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja. Butt was replaced by Asad Shafique a day after his appointment.
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Butt was involved in the spot-fixing scandal during the Test match against England at Lord's. He was banned from the sport for five years and was jailed for months in England.
In the Lord's Test against England in 2010, Butt persuaded pacers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif to bowl no-balls in exchange for a large sum of money. Butt was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted but was released early.
Pakistan will start their Australia tour with a four-day match against Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, December 6. THe first Test between Australia and Pakistan will be played in Perth on December 14.