LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing a sweeping restructuring of the national setup after Chairman Mohsin Naqvi called for a series of high-level meetings on Friday and Saturday to review the board’s management framework and make key appointments.
Sources close to the process revealed that deliberations are expected to produce immediate changes to captaincies, coaching roles and the selection architecture as the board seeks to reset Pakistan’s international programmes.
According to insiders, the PCB has split its invited training pool into two distinct groups — a 22-player red-ball contingent and a 27-player white-ball squad — and will use the meetings to finalise leadership and coaching assignments aligned with that format specialisation.
One of the most significant moves under consideration is the appointment of Shadab Khan as Pakistan’s T20I captain, replacing Salman Ali Agha. The meetings are also reported to have taken a hard look at the Test setup. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s ODI captain and a long-standing Test spearhead, has reportedly been rested from the red-ball programme to prioritise format specialists.
Officials cited concerns over Shaheen’s recent red-ball workload, reduced pace on the Bangladesh tour and limited first-class exposure as factors behind the decision to concentrate his role on white-ball cricket for the immediate future.
In a further shake-up, the PCB is said to be considering the inclusion of former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez in senior management roles. Current Test captain Shan Masood and head coach Sarfraz Ahmed are reported to be under review, with sources indicating they could be relieved of their current responsibilities.
Board insiders emphasised that the deliberations are part of a broader attempt to professionalise Pakistan’s cricketing pathways by creating clearer format specialisation, strengthening selection processes and improving workload management for frontline players.
The PCB has not issued an official statement confirming the final decisions, and the board is likely to announce appointments and structural changes once the meetings conclude and recommendations are ratified.
