Former captain Azhar Ali resigns from PCB positions

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has resigned from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a member of the national men’s selection committee and Head of Youth Development, Geo News reported, citing sources.

Azhar had joined the national selection committee in October 2024, alongside former ICC elite umpire Aleem Dar and ex-Test pacer Aqib Javed.

The trio joined Asad Shafiq, who was already serving on the panel. Their appointments came at a challenging time for Pakistan cricket, following an innings defeat in the Multan Test against England.

The revamped panel made headlines soon after, taking bold decisions such as dropping star batter Babar Azam and premier pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah for the remaining two Tests of the series.

The controversial move sparked widespread debate but ultimately paid off, as Pakistan bounced back to secure a remarkable 2-1 series victory.

In November 2024, a month after his selection committee appointment, Azhar was named PCB Head of Youth Development following a formal recruitment process.

Azhar’s sudden exit from both roles comes as a surprise, particularly given the board’s focus on strengthening its player development framework.

The PCB has yet to issue an official statement regarding his resignation or the reasons behind it.

A respected figure in Pakistan cricket, the right-handed batter enjoyed a distinguished international career spanning from 2010 to 2022, earning 97 Test and 53 ODI caps.

He captained Pakistan in nine Tests and 31 ODIs and played a pivotal role in the nation’s historic ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2017.

Statistically, the 40-year-old is among Pakistan’s modern greats, scoring 7,097 runs in 96 Test matches at an average of 42.49, making him the country’s fifth-highest Test run-scorer after Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.

His career included 19 centuries and 34 half-centuries, beginning with a maiden Test fifty just two matches after his debut at Lord’s in 2010.