Inzamam-ul-Haq blames Zaka Ashraf for turmoil in Pakistan cricket

Former Pakistan chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has criticized ex-PCB chief Zaka Ashraf, attributing the dismal performance of national team in the 2023 World Cup to Ashraf's alleged interference.

In a recent interview with a local news channel, Inzamam expressed his discontent with the comments made by Ashraf regarding the team selection process.

The former chairman claimed that the squad for the World Cup was not chosen by the board but by the captain and chief selector alone.

"In an important event like the World Cup in India, hearing that the PCB chairman is saying the team selected was not done by the board but by the captain and chief selector only creates a negative mindset among the players," Inzamam said as quoted by PTI.

The 2023 World Cup witnessed Pakistan finishing in fifth place on the points table, securing only four victories and ended up losing five games throughout the tournament. 

It is worth noting that the former PCB chief selector tendered his resignation to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on October 23rd 2023.

Concerns were recently raised about Inzamam's alleged shareholding in a company owned by Talha Rehmani, who serves as the agent for Inzamam and other players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi. The issue of potential conflicts of interest was highlighted, and clarification from Inzamam was expected to be sought regarding this matter by PCB.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced 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.

The former cricketer said that he's been waiting for the report from the committee that the PCB assigned to investigate him. Zaka Ashraf recently resigned as the PCB chairman management committee, and there have been many changes in the board since the 2023 World Cup.