According to insider sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a significant step on Monday, October 30, by forming a five-member fact-finding committee. The committee’s primary mission is to investigate potential conflicts of interest involving Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former chief selector, and his reported ownership of shares in a company affiliated with his player agent.
This inquiry aims for expeditious completion, with the committee striving to wrap up the investigation within a week, as per reliable sources. Once the investigative process concludes, the fact-finding team will present its discoveries and recommendations to Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the PCB Management Committee, for the final go-ahead.
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At the core of this investigation are allegations related to conflicts of interest that have arisen within the team selection process. Speculation has circulated that Inzamam had stakes in a company linked to Talha Rehmani, a prominent player agent who represents several of Pakistan’s top cricket stars, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. This revelation has prompted questions about potential conflicts of interest and how Inzamam’s dual roles as Chief Selector and a shareholder in a company representing elite cricketers might impact player selection.
As a response to the allegations of “conflict of interest,” Inzamam took the decision to resign from his position as the head selector of the men’s national team on October 30, stating, “People speak without research, and questions were raised on me, so I decided that it was better I resign.”
It’s noteworthy that on August 7, Zaka Ashraf, recently appointed as the head of the PCB Management Committee, had appointed Inzamam as the chief selector for the men’s national squad. Inzamam had previously held the role of chief selector from 2016 to 2019 and played a pivotal role in assembling the squad that clinched the Champions Trophy in 2017 under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed.
