Former captain Shahid Afridi has been appointed interim chairman of Pakistan’s men’s national selection committee, the country’s cricket board (PCB) announced on Saturday.

The all-rounder retired from international cricket in 2017, playing more than 500 international games across all formats after his 1996 debut.

He replaces Mohammad Wasim, sacked this week following a year in which Pakistan were beaten in the finals of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup, before their 0-3 defeat to England in a home Test series.

Afridi’s appointment comes in the build-up to New Zealand’s two-Test tour of Pakistan, beginning on Monday. He will head an interim committee of selectors that includes former players Abdul Razzaq, Rao Ifthikar Ahmed and Haroon Rasheed.

Both Afridi and Haroon are members of the cricket management committee, headed by Najam Sethi, appointed to run the affairs of the game for the next four months.

“We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform strongly in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the confidence of our fans,” Afridi said in a statement.

Written with Reuters inputs