Former Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali has resigned from his positions at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — namely as a member of the national selection committee and as head of youth development at the national cricket academy.
His departure comes after less than a year in the youth-and-selection portfolio, during which time he reportedly grew increasingly dissatisfied with the way the board operated.
Frustration Over Process and Power Shifts
According to sources close to the matter, Azhar Ali became fed up with what they described as a “red-tape style of working.” The bureaucracy and sluggish approvals frustrated him, particularly as some of “his proposals for young cricketers grooming at the academy were not pushed forward.”
Moreover, the board’s decision to transfer “a large part of his responsibilities as head of youth development” to former Test captain and mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed came without prior consultation, which further aggravated him.
The source said, “Azhar felt that with Sarfaraz now asked to run the Shaheens and Under-19 teams, a large part of his responsibilities … had been taken away without his consent so he decided to resign.”
Wider Context and Implications
Sarfaraz Ahmed’s appointment to oversee both the Pakistan Shaheens and the Under-19 squads meant he would handle everything from selection to training camps and travel logistics. The move is one in a series of changes at the PCB, where former players and coaches have often left or been released prematurely—highlighting a broader atmosphere of instability and shifting control within Pakistan’s cricket infrastructure.
For Azhar Ali, what began as a chance to shape youth development and selection pathways turned into a frustrating mismatch between his expectations and the board’s actual decision-making dynamics, prompting him to opt out rather than continue under diminished influence.
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