Misbah set to become PCB’s Director of International Cricket Operations

Former Pakistan Test captain Misbah ul Haq is set to take over as Director of International Cricket Operations in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The qualification for the key position as mentioned in the advertisement is that the individual should be a former domestic or international cricketer.

A reliable source in the PCB said that chairman Mohsin Naqvi has convinced Misbah to apply for the position as he wants the former skipper and head coach of the national side to handle international cricket affairs.

Misbah is still closely associated with the PCB in his capacity as mentor and advisor to the chairman on cricket matters and is said to have played a big part in the removal of Mohammad Rizwan as captain of the ODI squad.

Misbah also convinced the national selectors that top batter Babar Azam should not be considered for a recall in the national T20 side.

Misbah, after his retirement in 2017, was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019 by the PCB but after one year he resigned as chief selector.

He was later removed as head coach prematurely when Ramiz Raja took over as PCB chairman in September, 2021.

But since then the former Test batter has remained linked with the PCB with his last big appoinment being as mentor of a domestic team in 2024 at a salary of 5 million rupees per month.

Naqvi also signed him on on his advisory panel on cricket matters with former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sikander Bakht and Aaqib Javed being the other members.

The PCB recently advertised for the post of Director Interntional Cricket Operations, confirming that the long-serving Usman Wahla is stepping down from this position and apparently being sent to the Pakistan Super League secretariat.