New Delhi, Sep 2026 : Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has reportedly offered his resignation from the national men's selection committee following a sweeping overhaul of the Test squad during the ongoing three-match series against England.
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Misbah has submitted his resignation from the four-member selection panel, although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to formally accept it. He has also reportedly stepped down from his position as batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Misbah was appointed to the selection committee in March this year. The panel also includes former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, former fast bowler Aaqib Javed and Asad Shafiq.
His reported decision comes shortly after the PCB made dramatic changes to the Pakistan Test setup following a disappointing series against England. Pakistan have already lost the series after England secured a 194-run victory in the second Test at Lord's, giving them an unassailable 2-0 lead.
In response, the PCB released seven players from the Test squad — Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
The board also brought five uncapped players into the squad in an attempt to strengthen the struggling side. Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah were added, while capped players Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal were also recalled.
The changes were not restricted to the playing group. Pakistan also relieved red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Khan and bowling coach Umar Gul of their duties following the team's poor run of results.
The coaching shake-up comes amid wider changes in Pakistan's Test setup, including the replacement of Shan Masood as captain by Babar Azam.
For the remainder of the England tour, Pakistan's white-ball coaching staff will take on additional responsibilities. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke are expected to oversee the backroom operations.
The PCB confirmed the coaching changes, stating that Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul had been released and would be replaced by Hesson and Noffke for the remainder of the tour.
Misbah has held several senior positions within Pakistan cricket since retiring as a player in 2017. He was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019. He relinquished the chief selector's position in October 2020 to concentrate on his responsibilities as head coach, a role he eventually left the following year.
He returned to a PCB advisory role in 2023 under then-chairman of the ad hoc management committee Zaka Ashraf. Misbah subsequently remained involved with Pakistan cricket in various capacities.
In the 2024-25 season, he worked as a mentor for the men's Champions Cup and also coached Pakistan Gold in the National Champions Cup, guiding the side to the 50-over title.
His reported resignation from the selection committee now adds another layer of uncertainty to Pakistan's cricket administration as the team undergoes a major restructuring following its disappointing Test campaign against England.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
