Asia Cup 2023: Unhappy Inzamam-ul-Haq Threatened To Step Down As Pakistan Chief Selector Twice In One Month: Report

In just over a month since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Inzamam-ul-Haq as the chief selector, the former Pakistan captain has already threatened to step down twice.

On August 7, the PCB appointed the former cricketer as the chief selector for the second time. Apart from Inzamam-ul-Haq, team director Mickey Arthur, head coach Grant Bradburn, and secretary Hasan Cheema were also included in the selection panel. Inzamam-ul-Haq was also the chief selector of the Pakistan team from 2016 to 2019.

Inzamam-ul-Haq’s first assignment as the chief selector was to announce the squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan and the Asia Cup 2023. He announced the squads for both assignments on August 9, just two days after taking charge of the selection panel.

Inzamam-ul-Haq threatens to quit:

According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, Inzamam has already threatened to quit as the chief selector twice. The first reason was not getting a contract from the PCB despite announcing the squads for the series against Afghanistan and Asia Cup 2023.

Inzamam-ul-Haq had decided to resign before changing his mind after a meeting with PCB management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf. The Pakistan great reportedly demanded a hefty compensation with a three-year contract, requesting a monthly amount exceeding 2 million Pakistani rupees. As per the report, the PCB has already given its approval on the duration of the contract.

After the contract issues were sorted, Inzamam threatened to step down once again when the Asia Cup was underway in Pakistan. The former cricketer had demanded complete authority to grant NOCs to players for overseas leagues.

Inzamam-ul-Haq’s agents represent several national cricketers including Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan. And in order to prevent any conflict of interest, the PCB was not willing to grant the Chief Selector full authority in granting NOCs. Disappointed with the board’s decision, the 53-year-old had threatened to step down. The PCB reportedly considered replacing Inzamam-ul-Haq with Misbah-ul-Haq or Nadeem Khan due to his continuous demands but eventually struck a deal with him.