Urooj Mumtaz leaves role as PCB's Head of women's cricket

Mumtaz also held the roles of women’s chief selector and a place on the PCB cricket committee

Urooj Mumtaz has left her position as head of women’s cricket, at the Pakistan Cricket Board, with the board announcing they were to begin a search for a replacement on their official website. Mumtaz had not been engaged in the role full time, with the former cricketer holding the position as an additional charge alongside a number of other roles, including as chief selector of the women’s team and holding a place on the PCB cricket committee. She was also a commentator at the Pakistan Super League.

It was these multiple roles Mumtaz held that had begun to come under increasing scrutiny, especially with the board’s new ethics code looking to clamp down on any potential conflicts of interest. The code had spelled the end for Misbah-ul-Haq’s triple role as head coach and chief selector of the men’s side as well as coach of Islamabad United, while Wasim Akram’s double role as member of the PCB cricket committee as well as president of the Karachi Kings franchise also drew to a close.

Mumtaz, who held the role since September 2019, said her time as interim head coach had been “an absolute pleasure. Being a former player and captain of the national women’s team, I am extremely passionate about the women’s game and have served the role with utmost dedication with an aim to positively impact and drive a change in women’s cricket in the country.

“Overall, Pakistan women’s cricket has made significant strides in the right direction and I look forward to work in unison with the upcoming head of women’s cricket, in my role as a chief selector, to further enhance and uplift the sport. I will continue to inspire and encourage more sport participation, whereby increasing our player pool and providing opportunities at the international and domestic level to deserving cricketers.”

The PCB said in a statement her replacement would undergo a robust recruitment process, but no set date was provided for when an announcement was to be made.