FAISALABAD: Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has “vol­u­­ntarily” stepped down as a mem­ber of the senior men’s national side’s selection committee, the country’s cricket board announced on Sunday.

Amid speculations across various local media platforms that Yousuf’s resignation came following disagreements with Pakistan’s coaches over the selection of certain players, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) claimed the ex-batter resigned to “focus on other key responsibilities” as its employee.

“The PCB expresses its sincere gratitude to Mohammad Yousuf for his invaluable contributions during his tenure as a selection committee member,” the board said in a statement.

“Yousuf will continue to play a pivotal role at the PCB, sharing his extensive knowledge and experience as the batting coach at the High Performance Centre.”

Other than his role at the High-Performance Centre, Yousuf, 50, served as the head coach of the Pakistan Under-19 side that finished third in the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World in South Africa this year.

“Serving this incredible team has been a profound privilege, and I am proud to have contributed to the growth and success of Pakistan Cricket,” he wrote on social media platform X.

“I have immense faith in the talent and spirit of our players, and wish our team all the best as they continue to strive for greatness,” said Yousuf, who played 90 Tests for Pakistan and has also served the team as batting coach.

Yousuf’s last assignment as part of the six-man selection committee — formed after a revamp in July after Pakistan’s disastrous show in the T20 World Cup where they lost to USA — was picking the squad for the opening fixture of the upcoming three-match Test series against England starting Oct 7.

Yousuf’s resignation is a continuation to the instability in Pakistan cricket affairs, with the national team seeing off a number of coaches and selectors as a response to its shocking string of losses in the last 12 months.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2024