Inzamam ul Haq, the Chief Selector of the Pakistan cricket team, has resigned from his post during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. This decision came in the wake of allegations that he had a financial interest in a company that manages players, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest in player selection.
Inzamam ul Haq announced his resignation with a statement, stating, “People speak without research. Questions were raised on me, so I decided that it was better I resign.” This statement was reported by Geo News. The allegations in question revolve around Inzamam’s alleged ownership of shares in a company owned by players’ agent Talha Rehmani. This revelation prompted concerns about whether Inzamam’s dual role as the Chief Selector and a shareholder in a company that represents prominent cricketers could influence player selection decisions.
The situation comes at a challenging time for the Pakistan cricket team, which is on the brink of an exit from the World Cup in India. The team has faced criticism for its performance, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was embroiled in controversy when the PCB head leaked a private conversation between the team’s captain, Babar Azam, and a top board official.
Inzamam, who assumed the role of Chief Selector in August, was quick to respond to the allegations, insisting that he had no connection to the player-agent company in question. He stated, “People are making statements without research. I told the PCB to do their research. I have no relation with the player-agent company.”
In a subsequent statement, Inzamam offered to step down to allow the PCB to conduct a transparent inquiry into the conflict of interest allegations. He said, “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.”
The PCB promptly responded by establishing a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate the allegations related to conflicts of interest in the team selection process. In their official statement, the PCB stated, “The committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the PCB Management in an expeditious manner.”
The cricketing world now awaits the findings of the committee’s investigation, as this controversy continues to cast a shadow over Pakistan’s performance in the World Cup.
