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\u2022 Inzamam steps down after \u2018conflict of interest\u2019 allegations emerge THE turmoil continues back home; its aftershocks threatening to further derail Pakistan\u2019s campaign at the World Cup in India. It\u2019s an unwelcome distraction that could\u2019ve been put off, at least until Babar Azam\u2019s men were well and truly out of the race for the semis.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s Pakistan cricket for you: a place where things unravel fast. This time, a lot has happened in the space of just over 48 hours, culminating in the resignation of chief selector Inzamamul Haq on Monday, on the eve of yet another must-win game for Pakistan against Bangladesh in Kolkata.<\/p>\n So when Pakistan take the field<\/a> at Eden Gardens, looking to keep alive their faint hopes of reaching the last four, they will be essentially be doing so with the man who selected them no longer at the helm; the man who, alongside captain Babar, was named as being responsible for the team\u2019s faltering World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n Inzamam\u2019s resignation<\/a>, however, doesn\u2019t have to do with the team\u2019s performance. Instead, it\u2019s because of a potential conflict of interest due to his role in a company that represents many of the players who are playing at the World Cup.<\/p>\n Issues over team selection had been raised prior to the showpiece tournament, only for the debate to intensify once Pakistan embarked on a run of four straight losses for the first time in the history of cricket\u2019s showpiece event.<\/p>\n Following the defeat to South Africa on Friday, reports<\/a> began emanating that Inzamam was one of four directors at Yazoo International Ltd, a company registered in the United Kingdom, which set off alarm bells.<\/p>\n Pakistan wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan is also named as one of the directors, but the tipping point came with the name of Talha Rehmani, the managing director of Saya Corporation, which claims on its company website<\/a> to represent \u201c70pc of the Pakistan National Team including the top-ranked athletes\u201d like Babar, Rizwan and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.<\/p>\n That Inzamam\u2019s brother Inti\u00adsa\u00adrul Haq is the company secretary and has close ties in the player agency \u2014 with favouritism being alleged in the team\u2019s selection from various quarters \u2014 prompted Pakistan Cricket Board interim chairman Zaka Ashraf to pledge during a television programme on Sunday that an inquiry would be conducted into those allegations.<\/p>\n On Monday, this was made official, with the PCB announcing that it had set up a \u201cfive-member committee to investigate allegations in respect to conflict of interest\u2026 pertaining to the team selection process.\u201d<\/p>\n Soon afterwards, Inzamam appeared at a news conference in Lahore, tendering his resignation but vowing to return if he\u2019s cleared in the investigation. Over in Kolkata, the team had just finished their practice session when that news began filtering in.<\/p>\n Perhaps, it was the last act of the ongoing circus that has been played out before the world.<\/p>\n
\u2022 TV anchor under fire for displaying WhatsApp chat with Babar without consent<\/em><\/p>\n