Inzamam quits as Pakistan chief selector amidst Cricket World Cup fiasco

Inzamam-ul Haq has quit as chief selector of the Pakistan men's team over conflict of interest allegations in team selections following their dismal performance in the ongoing ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

The Pakistan team has lost four matches in succession including an embarrassing defeat to arch-rivals India and a humiliating loss, for the first time in an ODI, against neighbours Afghanistan.

Reports emerged in local media that Inzamam had stakes in a company registered in England. One of the other directors of this UK-based company is from an agency that represents leading Pakistan cricketers such as captain Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan.

"I am stepping down from the post (of chief selector) to offer the PCB an opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry,” Inzamam said in a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board. "If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector.”

Inzamam was appointed chief selector in August then also put in charge of selecting national junior teams this month. He was previously chief selector from 2016-19.

Inzamam became the first victim of the faltering World Cup campaign as he has been accused of nepotism in team selection in media reports.

The Pakistan team is facing a possible early exit from the World Cup. Pakistan are currently placed sixth in the points table with four points from two wins and four defeats.

Pakistani players during a practice session at Eden Garden Cricket Stadium. AFP

With India leading the points table with 12 points, South Africa are second with 10 points with New Zealand (8), Australia (8), Sri Lanka (4), Pakistan (4) and Afghanistan (4) and Netherlands (4) placed in that order. Bangladesh and England bring in the rear with two points each.

After the team's disastrous results in the World Cup, Inzamam has been accused of a conflict of interest about the team selection process.

Inzamam's nephew Imam-ul Haq is part of the team that he played a key role in selecting.

The committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the PCB Management in an expeditious manner.

There are also reports in the Pakistan media over captain Babar Azam's position as captain coming under pressure following the team's disastrous performance in the World Cup. There is a feeling that captaincy has impacted Babar's performance as a batter too.

Meanwhile, a senior player has revealed how political maneuvering by the PCB leaking closed doors and dressing room discussions and making them part of the media debate, is being done to ensure that the team fails at the world cup.

"The board wants the team to fail, they do not 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," said a senior player of the Pakistan Cricket team squad in an interview, given anonymously.

"It seems that PCB is deliberately orchestrating the failure of the team in the ongoing ICC World Cup. It is playing politics at a time when the team is playing the world cup," he added.

The senior player said that any issues, fights, disagreements or arguments the players may have, can be dealt by the players themselves without any external interference.

"Whatever fights or arguments or disagreements we have within the team is quite common. We are all old and mature enough to deal with it by ourselves. We do not need external interference," he said.

"But our private discussions in the dressing room or the hotel rooms are leaked to the media deliberately. The next thing the players see, is a media debate being done on what was said by who against which player. The social media is put in motion as well. And it only damages the morale of the players furthers, who are already struggling to formulate a winning combination to win matches," he said.

Agencies