Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi on Monday appointed former Test cricketer Haroon Rasheed as the new chief selector.

The announcement ends all speculations regarding the vacant post, which was occupied by former captain Shahid Khan Afridi for the New Zealand series.

“I’m pleased to announce that Mr. Haroon Rasheed, to whom I’ve worked with in the past for many years, will be the chief selector going forward,” Sethi said. “We had time to make the appointment, but due to the pressure and all the speculation, I thought it will be best to make the official announcement.”

Haroon, who represented Pakistan in 23 Tests and 12 ODIs, has resigned as a management committee member, as revealed by Sethi.

“I am honoured to have been entrusted with this responsibility and look forward to working very closely with the team management and the National High-Performance Centre so that we have clear pathways and can work collectively to select the best available players for what will be a busy and high-profile year of cricket, including the ACC Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the tour of Australia for three Tests,” said Haroon while speaking to the PCB.

“One of the key aspects I will like to focus on during my time will be improving communication. This is a critical area as the players need to have absolute clarity on why they have been selected or not selected, which, in turn, will help them to deliver the desired results, work harder on their skills and remain motivated.”

He served previously served as the national men’s team chief selector from 2015 to 2016 and manager of the national team from 2003 to 2005.

Pakistan to face Afghanistan in Sharjah

The PCB Chairman announced that subject to the government’s approval, Pakistan and Afghanistan will play three matches in Sharjah.

Sharing details of the meeting with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman and other board executives in Dubai, he said that the PCB was not in favour of playing a purposeless series.

“See, Pakistan are already through, and even a 3-0 defeat will not affect us in qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup,” he said. “The moral is we manage to convince them to share the 50 percent revenue from the series…and Afghanistan is very happy with the development.”

“We will wrap up the deal by Saturday, as we are only the approval from the Pakistan government is pending. And my sense is that approval will be granted.”

Mickey Arthur’s reappointment

Sethi has once again showed optimism in rehiring Mickey Arthur saying that the “negotiation is not over”.

Arthur, who led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions trophy in 2017, initially refused to return due to his commitments in county cricket.

However, Sethi said that his return is 90 percent on cards, as he is personally negotiating with the South African.

“I’ve said it before that I’ve not closed the Mickey Arthur chapter and it is not closed yet,” said Sethi confirming that he is personally negotiating with Mickey. “I think, we have sealed 90 percent of the deal, and hopefully very soon we may give you the news that Mickey will be joining us.”

“At this moment, it is not settled…there are some issues, but I think we will resolve it in a couple of days.”

He also shed light on the return of Mark Coles for the Women’s team. “Let me confirm now that Mark is currently coaching Namibia, and his contract will be running out in the summer. After that, he is agreeable to join us by May and June.”

“I think both situations are in hand.”