Inzamam questions PCB's decision to remove Hafeez, wants 'respect' for players

Karachi: Inzamam-ul-Haq has questioned the logic of removing Muhammad Hafeez as team director as the former Pakistan captain and chief selector has urged the PCB to avoid making players the scapegoats for national team's defeats.

The PCB had last month parted ways with Mohammad Hafeez due to recent poor results, including 0-3 Test defeat in Australia followed by 1-4 T20I series defeat in New Zealand.

Hafeez's contract, initially short-term, concluded after the T20 series in New Zealand, following the sports ministry's recommendation against a long-term agreement.

“Can someone explain the reasoning behind removing Muhammad Hafeez as team director but retaining Wahab Riaz as chief selector after the Australian and New Zealand tours,” Inzamam said on a TV show.

“Weren’t both appointed at same time and given same responsibilities so why has only Hafeez been held accountable and not Wahab Riaz,” Inzamam asked.

The former cricket great, who resigned in acrimonious circumstances during last year's World Cup as chief selector, also urged the PCB to start respecting players.

“The PCB Chairman no doubt is a highly respectable position but don’t former captains and stalwarts deserve the same amount of respect from the top board officials,” said Inzamam, who was the chief selector from 2016-19.

Inzamam narrated how during his dispute with the Board over his conflict of interest case he was shown no respect by former board Chairman, Zaka Ashraf.

“We had a meeting scheduled at the PCB offices after this story about me having a conflict of interest as chief selector broke out.

"I was sitting with (PCB officials) Salman Naseer and Aliya Rasheed waiting for the chairman to come,” he recalled.

“But he went to the academy and from there called Naseer and Aliya to meet him and I was told to wait as he would not be seeing me. Only Aliya returned after a time and told me about the inquiry committee,” he added.

“I was hurt by this behavior from the Chairman. Every details of agents and their companies who work with players are available with ICC and PCB and it was not such a big deal and I told them I would resign and they can complete their inquiry,” Inzamam stated.

The former skipper said he was still waiting for the PCB to release findings of the inquiry committee which probed into his conflict of interest case.

“Pakistan cricket cannot be run in this manner. It is time the board officials also accepted responsibility for their actions.” Inzamam also said he never wanted to take over as chief selector before the Asia Cup as the previous selection committee had already selected players.

“I told the board it would be better if I took charge after the World Cup but the Chairman insisted I should accept the offer immediately.”