After an egregious misstep in the 2024 Cricket World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is determined to restore credibility to the selection committee. While he may not have the power to fire committee member Wahab Riaz, he can make him take a back seat in the selection process. The move will help to reduce nepotism, a major problem within the selectors. It will also allow for a more transparent process as well as a better chance to identify the best talent.
As the UN draws closer to its 75th anniversary, there is increased speculation over whether it should expand the number of permanent seats to include countries that currently lack them. The current core members — Brazil, Germany, Japan and India — have made the strongest demands for more permanent seats. However, a group of countries known as Uniting for Consensus has opposed any expansion of permanent seats. The movement has gathered support from other large non-permanent funders of the United Nations, such as Canada and South Korea.
In addition, the committee should ensure that all members participate in any discussions of prize nominations/selections. This can be done at a meeting set in advance, or via teleconference with all members invited to join in. Research has shown implicit bias is mitigated when all members are given the opportunity to discuss and debate the nominees.
Moreover, the committee should ensure that all members have an equal vote on any decisions. This can be done by requiring all votes to be cast on a single document, or by using a weighted voting system that allows for more than one person to weigh in on a decision. The committee should also give members adequate time to make a decision. This will reduce the likelihood of a snap judgment, which has been linked to implicit bias.
For example, USAG’s recent announcement that it would pick its team for the world championships based on rankings from World Selection Camp caused an uproar among gymnastics fans. While the selection committee stated it took into account other factors, many felt that rank order was a major consideration. If the top five athletes from the all-around were strong on vault and floor, but weak on bars and beam, that could leave the rest of the team vulnerable in those events at the competition.
For this reason, the committee should not simply choose the highest-ranking athletes in each event. Instead, it should look at each gymnast’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the overall strength of the team. This should help to ensure that the team is as strong as possible when it competes in Paris. Hopefully, the selection committee will release a detailed report on how it chose its team to explain its reasoning and help to clear up any confusion.