Aamir Sohail appointed as chief selector
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Aamir Sohail Pakistan´s chief cricket selector for a second time on Tuesday.
The post had been vacant for more than seven months, since Iqbal Qasim didn´t renew his contract last July.
PCB interim chairman Najam Sethi briefly appointed Moin Khan as chief selector soon after Qasim quit, but the Islamabad High Court overruled all major decisions by Sethi, and last month restored Zaka Ashraf as PCB chairman.
Sohail, who played for Pakistan from 1992 to 2000, will also serve as director of game development.
Former international players Azhar Khan, Salim Jaffar and Farrukh Zaman will continue on the selection committee.
Sohail also served as chief selector in 2003, soon after the World Cup, a tournament in which he spearheaded Pakistan´s victory in 1992 and also featured in 1996.
"Aamir´s vision and experience will help build a strong team for the World Cup 2015," the PCB said in a statement.
Sohail said his main challenge will be to strengthen the number of backup players.
"We have to increase the pool of players and also improve the fitness of players," he said.
He said he discussed in detail what needs to be done to improve the national team with outgoing coach Dav Whatmore, who quit after Pakistan drew the home Test series with Sri Lanka 1-1 last month.
"He (Whatmore) has given me a lot of input and I, too, have a few things in my mind," Sohail said. "But I think you have to look at the comfort level of others, too, and you can´t simply do what you want to do."
Pakistan was still to appoint a new coach and assistants for fielding and batting.
Sohail said he would prefer the new coach was Pakistani. His immediate task will be to select limited-overs teams for the Asia Cup in Bangladesh this month and the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next month.
Sohail played 47 Tests and 156 One-day Internationals. (AP)
