Inzamam ul Haq Resigns As Pakistan Chief Selector
Former Pakistan cricketer Inzamam ul Haq has resigned from the post of Pakistan cricket team’s chief selector post after allegations of conflict of interest. According to reports, the former Pakistan batter is a shareholder in player-management company called Yazoo International Limited, and the company is owned by players’ agent Talha Rehmani. Reportedly some of the top billed players from the Pakistan national team including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are represented by Mr Rehmani.
“Inzamam-ul-Haq has resigned as the chairman of the national men”s selection committee and junior selection committee. He was appointed as the chairman of the national men”s committee on 7 August 2023 and was also appointed chairman of the junior men”s selection committee earlier this month,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the top most cricket body in the country, said in a statement.
Inzamam said that he is stepping down from the post to make way for transparent inquiry and will resume role if the committee finds him not guilty.
“I am stepping down from the post to offer the PCB the opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry about the conflict of interest allegations raised in the media. If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector,” Inzamam said in the statement.
The development comes in the background of the poor showing of Pakistan in the ongoing ICC Cricket Word Cup being held in India. The Babar Azam-led team is now currently placed at 6th in the points table after loosing 4 matches from the total six matches they have played. The last defeat for the South Asian side came from the hands of South Africa.
Responding to the conflict of interest allegations, the PCB had earlier set up a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations pertaining to the team selection process.
The PCB, in a statement said that the committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the Management in an expeditious manner.
Meanwhile, Inzamam, leading run scorer for Pakistan in ODIs and also has 20,000+ runs in international cricket, said: “People speak without research. Questions were raised on me so I decided that it was better I resign”. Pakistan’s Geo News have also quoted Inzamam as saying further that, “People are making statements without research. I told the PCB to do their research. I have no relation with the player-agent company.”
Inzamam is one of the most iconic cricketers to have ever played the game and widely regarded as one of the best middle-order batsmen of all time.
The 53-year old former player made his international debut for Pakistan in 1992, at the age of 22. He quickly made a name for himself with his big-hitting and aggressive batting style. Inzamam was particularly strong against fast bowlers, and he was known for his ability to hit sixes at will.
In addition to his batting exploits, Inzamam was also a successful captain. He led Pakistan to victory in the 2004 Asia Cup and the 2005-06 Test series against England. However, his captaincy was also marred by controversies, such as the Oval Test in 2006, when he refused to bring his team out onto the field in protest at a ball tampering decision made by the umpires.
Inzamam retired from international cricket in 2007.
