PAK vs ENG: Inzamam-ul-Haq snubbed for Champions Cup mentorship due to this huge reason

A piece of shocking news emerged from Pakistan cricket, as the legendary cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq was overlooked for the Champions One-Day Cup mentorship job. The former Pakistan captain and chief selector was controversially overlooked for the much-talked-about role.

According to Cricket Pakistan, Inzamam was overlooked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the senior wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed, who got the mentorship of the Dolphins in the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

Inzamam-ul-Haq overlooked for Champions One-Day Cup mentorship in favor of Sarfaraz Ahmed

PCB was named Sarfaraz as the Dolphins' mentor earlier this month. The PCB had reportedly selected the batter due to his active involvement in modern-day international cricket.

As the former Pakistan captain agreed to take part in the Champions One-Day Cup, PCB didn’t offer the job to Inzamam. It is being said that Inzamam was interviewed and was the frontrunner to become mentor of one of the five teams, but the PCB eventually settled for Sarfaraz.

It was a bit surprising, as Inzamam had already worked in different capacities, but his previous stint with the PCB had ended under a cloud of allegations. In October 2023, Cricket Pakistan reported that the former Pakistan captain had shares in 'Yazo International', a company operated by his agent, Talha Rehmani.

Things were further complicated by the fact that Rehmani represented several well-known cricketers of Pakistan, raising a conflict of interest matter, and it eventually led to the end of Inzamam's tenure as Chief Selector.

The selection process was very transparent: PCB

Inzamam was deemed guilty of conflict-of-interest charges and forced to resign. Despite the fact that Inzamam has been an integral part of Pakistani cricket, even serving as Chief Selector, he was not considered for mentorship by the PCB.

Meanwhile, PCB selected former Pakistan captain and coaches Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, and former captains Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Ahmed as the five mentors for the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

Earlier, the PCB stated: “The selection process for head coaches/mentors of Pakistan junior and senior sides was carried out in a very transparent and comprehensive manner.”

Notably, each mentor will be earning PKR 5 million per month. However, sources close to the board claimed that this was a tough call, but Sarfaraz's active presence in international cricket and in the Champions One-Day Cup earned him the mentor’s role of the Dolphins team over Inzamam, who has not yet made a comment on the matter.

More significantly, Inzamam's omission has also connected with the still-pending probe into conflict-of-interest charges against many leading players. Many felt this was one of the key factors behind the decision-making process of the PCB.

However, the PCB has yet to clarify this issue. The board is currently busy renovating the infrastructure for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2024 in February-March. They will be next hosting England in a three-match Test series in October 2024.