Misbah-Ul-Haq has decided to let go of one of the multiple roles he had been juggling for the Pakistan team, as he decided to step down as the chief selector position, on Wednesday. He announced the decision to press in Lahore and has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as well.

Misbah will relinquish the chief selector post on November 30 but will continue as the head coach of the national team.

“I will select the squad for the coming series against Zimbabwe but after that, I just want to focus on my work as head coach. No, it is purely my own personal decision and I took it because I think it is not easy doing two high-profile jobs at one time. I want to give my best as head coach of the national team. Whoever is appointed as chief selector, I will fully cooperate with him and work to take the Pakistan team into the top three of every format,” Misbah said.

"Pakistan don't intend to experiment too much during Zimbabwe series": Misbah Ul Haq

The former captain also made it clear that his was a pure cricketing decision and had nothing to do with his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan last month when he and senior players, Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez, raised the issue of departmental teams being closed down in domestic cricket.

The PCB had made their unhappiness clear with Misbah and other senior players going straight to the patron in chief of the Pakistani board to discuss what was a policy decision made by the board.

“If that meeting was the reason for my stepping down as chief selector then I think I would have also lost my head coach position,” Misbah said.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani and CEO Wasim Khan recently met with Misbah and Azhar and gave them a dressing down and cautioned them not to make the mistake of directly seeking meetings with the PM.

Talking further about his decision to take two roles simultaneously in September last year, Misbah said, “When I accepted both positions I thought I could manage it but with time I think it is better for me to focus on one job.”

“As a head coach now my focus is that we as a team break into the top three of every format and obviously we also have the ICC World Cups coming up over the next three years so that is something we have to start preparing,” he added.

Misbah was appointed head coach and chief selector after the PCB released Mickey Arthur and his support staff following Pakistan’s failure to make the 2019 World Cup semi-finals.

(PTI inputs)