Particle.news

Former Selector Alleges Saqlain Pressed for Shadab’s Selection

Public claims about undisclosed voice recordings that neither side has released could trigger formal scrutiny of Pakistan’s selection process.

Overview

  • Former chief selector Tauseef Ahmed said on Saturday he possesses voice recordings that show Saqlain Mushtaq lobbying selectors to pick his son‑in‑law Shadab Khan.
  • Saqlain Mushtaq denied any favouritism and publicly challenged Tauseef to release the alleged audio while saying he holds his own records of the conversations.
  • No recording has been made public and the competing claims remain unresolved, leaving the dispute a matter of allegation rather than proven fact.
  • The row highlights a direct family link—Saqlain is married to Shadab’s mother‑in‑law—and recalls Saqlain’s past senior roles with Pakistan cricket and Tauseef’s time as interim chief selector in 2023.
  • Shadab’s strong recent franchise form, including a 2026 CPL hat‑trick, complicates debate over selection merit and raises the prospect that any public evidence could force the PCB to open a formal inquiry and change selection oversight.