Azhar Ali steps down as selector and head of youth development at PCB

Azhar Ali, a former cricketer, has stepped down as a selector for the Pakistan Cricket Board and head of youth development. This concludes a 12-month service in the various roles.

Azhar Ali was initially named to the PCB selection committee in October 2024.

It is known that one of the key reasons for Azhar’s resignation was an extended period of visionary disputes between him and the board. Tensions hit their peak when Sarfaraz Ahmed was selected head coach of the Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 teams.

According to, Azhar believed that appointing Sarfaraz in a post that was quite similar to his own set of responsibilities made his position readily replaceable. The PCB is believed to have accepted the resignation letter.

At the time of his appointment, the board confirmed Azhar Ali’s roles and responsibilities as “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 programs, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Program, and organising seminars and clinics.”