Waqar Younis, the legendary Pakistani fast bowler, is poised to return to the helm of Pakistan cricket in a pivotal role as the board’s cricketing supremo. This appointment marks a significant shift in the PCB’s leadership structure, with Younis assuming responsibility for all cricketing matters, including selection, high performance, and pathways.
The appointment comes at a crucial time for Pakistan cricket, as the team embarks on a packed schedule in the coming months. They face Bangladesh in a two-Test series in August, followed by a three-Test tour of England in October. The year ends with a two-Test series in South Africa over Christmas and New Year’s.
In addition to these international commitments, Pakistan will host a triangular ODI series with South Africa and New Zealand, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and an eight-match white-ball series in New Zealand in March 2025. The domestic schedule has also been expanded, with three new tournaments added to the calendar.
Younis’s appointment is expected to bring stability and expertise to the PCB’s cricketing operations. He has previously served as bowling or assistant coach across three stints with the Pakistan side, as well as head coach twice. His last assignment with the team was as bowling coach under Misbah-ul-Haq’s coaching regime after the 2019 World Cup.
However, this new role will be the first time Younis takes on such a broad remit. He will be tasked with balancing the demands of Pakistan’s international schedule with the increasing popularity of T20 leagues worldwide, which has led to a growing demand for Pakistani players.
The PCB has been without a chief executive officer since Wasim Khan left the board under Ramiz Raja’s tenure as PCB chairman. Raja folded the executive role into the chairmanship, but PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is keen to appoint a former cricketer to take over cricketing matters, leaving him to focus on the running of the board.
Younis’s appointment is expected to be finalized soon, although a few issues still need to be resolved. The exact nature of his role may change once the appointment is made permanent, with the possibility of a title similar to that of Robert Key, managing director at the ECB.
