LAHORE: Inzamam-ul-Haq on Wednesday announced to leave his post of the chief selector of the men’s cricket team once his contract ends at the end of this month.
Addressing the media at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Inzamam said he would not be interesting in seeking out an extension, drawing the curtain over a three-year stint in the role.
“After more than three years as Chair of the Pakistan Men’s Selection Committee, I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract,” he said.
“With the ICC World Test Championship due to get underway in September and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, I believe it is the right time for the Pakistan Cricket Board to appoint a new chief selector who can bring new ideas and fresh thinking,” the former player said.
“I spoke to [PCB Chairman] Ehsan Mani and [Managing Director] Wasim Khan on Monday and conveyed my decision to them separately. I also thanked them for backing and supporting the selection committee since taking over the reins of Pakistan cricket.”
Inzamam began his stint in August 2016, and at the time, Pakistan were so eager to appoint him they bought out the last year of his contract with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, where he had served as the head coach. His time saw several players enter the Pakistan international set-up, who are now mainstays, such as Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi brought in over the past three years.
The biggest success of this period was lifting the Champions Trophy in 2017 when Pakistan beat India in the final to win their first ICC tournament in nearly a decade. Six months later, they would beat New Zealand in a three-match T20I series to ascend to No. 1 in the T20I rankings, a position they still hold.
“It has been a pleasure to see these players grow and make names for themselves in international cricket,” Inzamam said. “I will follow their progress with interest because I firmly believe these players have all the ingredients to take the Pakistan cricket team to greater heights.
“The team could have performed better during my time than the results reflect and I may have inadvertently overlooked some potentially deserving players, but I have always had the best interests of Pakistan cricket foremost in my heart. I hope the passionate Pakistan cricket fans will understand and can see this in my decisions.
