Inzamam steps down as Pakistan chief selector after conflict of interest allegations

Staff Report

LAHORE: Former captain Inzamamul Haq has stepped down as Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) chief selector after allegations of a conflict of interest. His resignation comes after Pakistani media reported one of his co-directors in a UK-based company, Yazoo International Ltd, is managing director of Saya Corporation, an agency representing some major Pakistani cricketers. The players include captain Babar Azam, bowler Shaheen Afridi and wicketkeeper and batter Mohammad Rizwan, who is also a director at Yazoo, according to UK public sector database gov.uk. “I am stepping down from the post to offer the PCB the opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry,” Inzamam said in a statement released by the board. “If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector.” The PCB said it had set up a five-member fact-finding committee to look into the allegations. The allegations surfaced in the middle of Pakistan’s struggling World Cup campaign, where they sit seventh in the points table after four successive defeats. It is their worst losing streak in tournament history.