PCB accepts Inzamam ul Haq‘s resignation after public outburst against Zaka Ashraf
- Resignation accepted after Inzamam accuses PCB of not responding to email.
- PCB says it will announce Inzamam’s replacement in due course.
- Board says former cricketer’s case is “under investigation”.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced it had accepted Inzamam ul Haq‘s resignation as chief selector after he slammed Zaka Ashraf for escaping responsibility and mishandling his resignation.
“Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted Inzamam ul Haq’s resignation as the chairman of the national men’s selection committee and junior selection committee and will announce his replacement in due course,” said the board in a statement.
The resignation was accepted hours after Inzamam, in an interview on Geo News‘ programme ‘Capital Talk’, slammed the PCB for not responding to his email, saying that the board is not summoning him.
The former star cricketer resigned as chief selector on October 30 following “conflict of interest” allegations against him after it was revealed that he was a partner in Yazoo International Ltd — a players’ management company owned by Talha Rehmani which represents Pakistan’s leading cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Following the revelations, the board formed a five-member inquiry committee to investigate the process and conflicts of interest in team selection.
Complaining about the PCB’s lack of response to his email, Inzamam said that his lawyer has emailed the board saying, “Summon us if you need us,” but there has been no response to the email.
“I found out through the TV that my resignation was not accepted. The board officials did not inform me of the non-acceptance of my resignation, and now they are trying to save face,” he said.
“I didn’t resign due to the performance of the team in the World Cup. The PCB constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate my issue. The PCB could have made this committee after the World Cup because I’m not running anywhere,” he added.
He also slammed Ashraf and said: “[The] board’s chairman was appointed for four months, and now an additional three-month extension has been granted. During such extensions, efforts are made to shift blame onto others. A person tries to save himself, saying that it’s not his mistake.”
Inzamam further stated that if the team is not performing well, he is willing to take responsibility and will not try to run from it.
“The PCB could have sent a message of ownership of the chief selector and captain after Pakistan lost some matches in the World Cup. This message would’ve given confidence to the team but instead, the board made a committee to investigate me,” he added
He also complained the board’s top head should have credited him for solving the central contracts’ issue which was pending for four months.
“Ashraf called me to solve the issue of central contracts. A meeting was held one day before the team had to leave for the World Cup.”
“Babar Azam and Ashraf were also present in the meeting and later the issue was solved. The PCB should have given credit to me for solving the issue which has been pending for the last four months but instead, they put the the blame on me,” he added.
PCB acknowledges Inzamam’s email
The confirmation email of Inzamam has been received, and they will respond with certainty, the PCB said in a statement later.
“The PCB’s investigations are underway regarding the conflicts of interest, and Inzamam is currently suspended. The PCB will make a decision to retain or dismiss Inzamam once all investigations are complete, and he will not be allowed to take charge until then,” the board added.
“Had we [the board] accepted Inzamam’s resignation, he would have been relieved of his duties, and the matter would have ended [right there]. Inzamam is a prominent cricketer, and the PCB respects him as he can play a significant role in the development of Pakistan cricket,” the PCB said.
“If PCB’s intentions were not right, we would have removed him [Inzamam]. The PCB’s investigations are being carried out with integrity […] Inzamam’s resignation was not accepted due to the respect shown to him.”
“A three-month extension or the four-month tenure of the PCB chairman is Inzamam’s personal opinion,” the board said in response to the former skipper’s remarks about Ashraf’s extension as interim board chief.
“To say the least, we have given everyone a free hand and no changes have been made. No cricket board in the world would be against its cricket team. Whether the team performs well or not. The board stands behind the team,” the PCB statement said while reassuring of its undeterred commitment and support for the team and management.
“It seems Inzamam does not want to continue his work himself. His case is under investigation, so we cannot say much more [and he too] should refrain from such comments regarding the investigations,” the board’s statement added.