Inzamam-ul-Haq resigns as Pakistan chief selector with contingency for return in place
Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his decision to step down from the post on Monday owing to allegations of conflict of interest levelled against him by the media. The Pakistan Cricket Board has set up a committee to look into the matter with Inzamam claiming he'll return to the role if declared innocent.
The saga began when reports emerged in Pakistan of the former Pakistan captain's post as an active director in Yazoo International Ltd., a company based in the United Kingdom. Notably, renowned player agent Talha Rehmani is another active director in the organization and runs Saya Corporation, an agency that manages a plethora of prominent cricketers including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan. As per public records, Rizwan is also a director at Yazoo while Inzamam's brother Intisar-iul-Haq occupies the Company Secretary role.
None of the previously mentioned information was made public when Inzamam started his second stint as the Chief Selector in August, shortly after being named in a technical committee to overhaul Pakistan cricket. As per ESPNCricinfo, the 53-year-old had an hour-long meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf, whose tenure also ends next week, at PCB headquarters on Monday before handing in his papers. Crucially, Inzamam made clear in his statement the possibility of being reinstated should he be cleared of the conflict of interest
"I am stepping down from the post to offer the PCB the opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry about the conflict of interest allegations raised in the media. If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector," he said in a press release.
Meanwhile, PCB announced the formation of a "five-member fact finding committee to investigate allegations in respect of conflict of interest reported in the media pertaining to the team selection process." With the post presumably vacant for the time being, the statement added that the reports would be submitted "in an expeditious manner."
Inzamam had recently come under fire for the execution of his duties as well given the Pakistan squad he selected is currently on a four-match losing streak, including a setback against rivals Afghanistan, and staring at an early World Cup exit in the absence of a turn in form.