Inzamam-Ul-Haq was removed as Pakistan chief selector by the PCB chief Zaka Ashraf.
Former Pakistan captain and chairman of selectors, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, blamed Zaka Ashraf, the outgoing chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), for the team’s disastrous performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India last year.
Zaka, who had taken charge of an interim management committee in July 2023, recently stepped down as the PCB chairman and as a board member during a recent committee meeting.
Notably, Inzamam was removed as the Pakistan chief selector after the ODI World Cup 2023 due to allegations of a 'Conflict of Interest' as he is managed by the same UK-based firm that handles business interests for some active players in Pakistan team.
Inzamam-ul-Haq said on a Pakistani television channel: “Can you imagine the mindset of the players when during an important event like the World Cup in India they hear that the PCB Chairman is saying the team selected was not done by the board but by the captain and chief selector only.”
The former skipper added, “Just think what must be going through the player's mind when they hear that an inquiry committee has been formed against the chief selector and he has resigned. Where does this happen?”
Zaka had formed an inquiry committee to look into Conflict of Interest allegations against Inzamam.
Reacting to the same, the former chief selector said: “I am still waiting for that report of the inquiry committee against me which was formed to probe whether I had committed a conflict of interest while being the chief selector.
These changes affected the performance of the team and just imagine when they can put pressure on a world-class performer like Babar Azam what would the other players be thinking. The team was struggling in the World Cup and they needed to be given full confidence but this didn’t happen.”
Inzamam was surprised to see how the PCB quickly parted ways with the then-skipper Babar Azam and head coach Mickey Arthur just hours after Pakistan's exit from the World Cup 2023. However, he still has belief in the talent of the Pakistani players, saying they simply needed confidence and trust.
He signed off by saying, “What does this mean? That the PCB had already decided in advance what they wanted to do? There is no problem with the team, they just need confidence and backing.”
(With PTI Inputs)