Former Test off-spinner, Tauseef Ahmed, has assumed the role of interim chief selector for the upcoming Australia Test series, taking over after Inzamam-ul-Haq’s recent resignation, which came amidst accusations of a conflict of interest.
The PCB was considering a temporary appointment to fill the vacant chief selector position, and Tauseef, a member of the selection committee, was the front-runner for this role.
The PCB announced that the initial task assigned to the selection committee led by Tauseef Ahmed is the selection of the national team for the upcoming tour to Australia following the 2023 World Cup.
Furthermore, they also announced that Wajahatullah Wasti, a former cricketer, has been designated as the head of the junior selection committee. It’s noteworthy that both Tauseef Ahmed and Wajahatullah Wasti are already members of the current selection committee.
Inzamam’s decision to step down was prompted by allegations of his association with a player agency based in the UK, which subsequently led the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to initiate an inquiry.
A five-member investigation committee has been established to look into Inzamam’s connection with the aforementioned player agency. This committee is expected to present its findings to PCB Chairman Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, by November 6th.
“Any emergent situation could [also arise during the ongoing ICC World Cup in India, regarding the players’ selection, plus the national Test team for the tour of Australia is to be selected after a short while. A responsible individual should be at the helm to monitor the situation in order to pick the best team for the Australia tour. Keeping this entire scenario in view, the PCB is likely to assign the duty [of chief selector] to Tauseef on temporary basis,” PCB sources said.
“The committee investigating the allegations of conflict of interest against Inzamam could not complete its work. The committee’s report was to be submitted to the PCB chairman on Monday but neither the report could be finalised nor the chairman was in Lahore on Monday,” sources further added.
On the other hand, Director Media PCB Aalia Rasheed is of the opinion that the board has not yet accepted the resignation of Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Inzamam’s resignation was unnecessary when the committee for assessing conflicts of interest was established, as he could have continued in his role until the committee completed its report. During this period, the duties of the chief selector could have been transferred to any other selector, such as the former Test cricketer Taseef Ahmed.
