LAHORE: Well the game of musical chairs is in full swing in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The next personality who is all set to the join the bandwagon is none other than our beloved former great batsman and captain Inzamamul Haq. Inzamam will be taking the place of former Test opener Haroon Rasheed who was shown the door as the chief selector after Shahid Afridi-led Pakistan’s humiliating performances in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the ICC World Twenty20 in India. Former Pakistan skipper and 1992 World Cup star Inzamam is likely to assume his new assignment with the PCB on Monday (today) after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has accepted his resignation. As their head coach, the 46-year-old Inzamam guided Afghanistan to the Super 10 stage of the World Twenty20 2016, during which they defeated eventual champions West Indies. Inzamam’s contract with the Afghans was till December but PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan spoke to ACB officials on Saturday and requested for his immediate release, which they accepted.
Inzamam had joined the Afghanistan set-up for the team’s tour of Zimbabwe in late 2015. After Afghanistan won the ODI and T20I series in Zimbabwe, he signed a contract extending his tenure. Prior to his role with Afghanistan, Inzamam’s last coaching assignment at the international level was a short-term stint as Pakistan’s batting consultant in 2012-13. For many, Inzamam, who played 378 one-day internationals and 120 Tests, is not suited for the full time role given to him with Pakistan cricket.
Since making his debut against the West Indies in 1990, Inzamam has had a habit of remaining in the news, for the right and wrong reasons. Inzamam’s role in the forfeited Test in England in 2006, losing in a major upset to Ireland at the 2007 World Cup in Jamaica, his dictatorship over his teammates and forcing players to pray against their will still not have been forgotten. Elephants have long memories. Collective prayers, late-night religious sessions and visits to mosques were normal during Inzamam’s tenure as captain and even led to warnings from the PCB to not use the cricket team as a platform to promote religion. He remained unruffled. Above all, Inzamam taking a ‘gift’ for retiring form international cricket from then PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf is sill fresh in the memory of all and sundry. But, at the same time, we should also commend Inzamam for the proud holder of a record that shows that out of his 25 Test hundreds, 17 came in matches won by his country.
The big question is would Inzamam, soft spoken with a dry sense of humour, fond of food and sleeping, be able to follow domestic cricket with zeal to hunt talent. The answer is not that difficult. Inzamam has a stubborn and autocratic personality. The decision to appoint Inzamam as the chief selector has raised many an eyebrow because Shaharyar himself wrote strongly against him in his book for his part in the forfeited Test in England. How Inzamam and PCB chief Shaharyar would be able to work in harmony is anybody’s guess. The move to give Inzamam the lucrative post came after Waqar Younis, who recently resigned as Pakistan’s head coach, argued in favour of hiring Inzamam as the chief selector. Inzamam has been assured that he will be given ‘considerable authority’ and a ‘suitable financial package’. During his captaincy days, Inzamam misused the authority bestowed upon him. He had strong personal likes and dislikes among players. He was found guilty of bringing cricket into disrepute. He remained unrepentant. With his controversial background, there is a strong likelihood that Inzamam will create problems for Pakistan cricket as well as the PCB. Pakistan cricket needs a strong, dedicated and non-controversial personality with a sharp eye on domestic cricket as the chief selector. Is that person hard to find?