In a surprising turn of events, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team, has stepped down from his position during the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. The decision comes after Pakistan's defeat against South Africa, and just before the match against Bangladesh.
Pakistan have won two and lost four of their initial six matches. The mixed performance has left their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals in doubt. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially announced Inzamam's departure from his role, citing the need for an internal investigation.
"Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set up 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," PCB posted on X (formerly twitter).
"The committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the PCB Management in an expeditious manner," the statement added.
Inzamam-ul-Haq resigned as the chairman of the national men's selection committee and junior selection committee. He was appointed as the chairman of the national men's committee on 7 August 2023 and was also appointed chairman of the junior men's selection committee earlier this month.
Inzamam's decision to step down appears to be a proactive move to address conflict of interest allegations that have emerged in the media. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with a transparent inquiry and, if found not guilty, intends to resume his duties as the chief selector.
"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," Inzamam said.
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Inzamam is a legendary figure in Pakistan cricket, having served as the men's chief selector from 2016 to 2019 and then returning to this role before the Asia Cup earlier this year. During his previous tenure as chief selector, Pakistan achieved a historic victory in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, defeating arch-rivals India by a significant margin.
He was also responsible for selecting the squad that performed well in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, winning five out of nine league games, though they failed to progress to the knockout stage.
The disappointing performance of the Pakistan team in the current World Cup has led to criticism of both Captain Babar Azam and Inzamam-ul-Haq. However, head coach Mickey Arthur cautioned against singling out individuals for blame, emphasising the collective effort of the team and the coaching staff. He urged against starting a "witch hunt" and highlighted the dedicated efforts of both the players and staff in striving to perform at their best.