Azhar Ali tenders his resignation as Pakistan selector and youth head of development in another shocking move.
Azhar Ali resigns as PCB’s selector and head of youth development.
After serving as a selector and head of youth development for the PCB for a whole year, Azhar Ali has quit. The departure has been confirmed; neither Azhar nor the board made a public announcement about it.
After a protracted period of simmering disagreements in view between the board and the former captain of Pakistan, Azhar left. Eventually, things reached a breaking point when Sarfaraz Ahmed was purportedly named as the head of the Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 teams. His duties included planning and overseeing trips as well as leading training camps, however this was once again not formally verified by the board.
It is understood that Azhar believed his position had become untenable after Sarfaraz was appointed to a post that closely matched his own set of responsibilities. Earlier this week, he submitted his resignation letter, which the PCB approved.
In October 2024, Azhar joined the PCB as a member of the selection panel for Pakistan’s men’s national team. Azhar captained Pakistan in Tests and One-Day Internationals. He was given the position of head of youth development a month later, which the PCB at the time made public.
The official announcement of his appointment on the PCB’s website stated that he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.
The 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6, will be the next significant task for a Pakistani age group team. Pakistan’s group in the competition, which they have won twice, in 2004 and 2006, includes co-hosts Zimbabwe, Scotland, and England.