Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has stepped down as Pakistan Cricket Board’s chief selector after the team’s poor performance in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Inzamam sent his resignation letter to Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf on Monday.
Pakistan are facing an early exit from the ODI World Cup after suffering four defeats in a row over the past couple of weeks.
The Men in Green started their campaign with wins against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka but their downfall started after the humiliating loss against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.
PCB, Pak players under fire
Captain Babar Azam and the team management has come under fire from the Pakistan cricket fraternity over their on-field performances and the growing discord between the players and the PCB.
The board is likely to take a call on Babar’s future as the skipper after the World Cup.
Conflict of interest
Inzamam himself is under scrutiny as he is a shareholder in “Yazo International Limited”, a company owned by players’ agent Talha Rehmani.
This revelation has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as Rehmani represents some of Pakistan’s top cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The PCB has therefore, set up a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations of conflict of interest pertaining to the team selection process.
“The committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the PCB Management in an expeditious manner,” the board stated.
PCB vs Pak players
The Pakistan team and PCB are already at loggerheads over the players’ refusal to sign the new central contracts. The players have also not received their salaries for the past five months, according to reports.
A senior player recently slammed the PCB over its behaviour towards Babar & Co, claiming that the board wants the team to fail in the World Cup so that they can make sweeping changes in the squad after the tournament.
“The board wants the team to fail, they don’t want us to win the World Cup just so that they can make the changes and take control of who leads the team and who gets into the team,” a senior player was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Reports of constant rifts and a discord within the squad also emerged earlier this month after which the PCB had to release a statement, denying all such rumours.