Pak chief selector Iqbal Qasim quits

Lahore – Pakistan’s chief cricket selector Iqbal Qasim has resigned, saying his tenure has ended, and insisting that he had no differences over selection with either skipper Misbah ul Haq or coach Dav Whatmore.

The former Pakistan left-arm spinner apparently informed the acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi, and CEO Subhan Ahmed about the decision to quit soon after the selection Wednesday of the Pakistan team for the tour of the West Indies, Pakistan media reported.

PCB sources said no decision has been taken on Qasim’s resignation, but a new selection panel will soon be in place.

Qasim presided over the selection committee which named squads for this month’s tour of the Caribbean where they play five one-day and two Twenty20 matches before going to Zimbabwe in August for two Tests, three one-day and two Twenty20 matches.

The selectors dropped former captain Shoaib Malik, wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and opener Imran Farhat, and recalled another former captain all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

“I had no differences with anyone, I have resigned only because I completed my tenure in April, but the then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf requested me to continue till the West Indies tour, which I did,” said Qasim on media speculation that he had been having running battles with Misbah, Whatmore and Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez over selection.

Qasim, who played 50 Tests and 15 one-dayers, and his fellow-selectors came in for severe criticism after the team crashed out of the Champions Trophy in England last month.

Qasim, who was first appointed as chief selector in 2009, quit a year later in the aftermath of the team’s 0-3 rout in Australia and was recalled to head the selection committee in March last year.

“The team wins and the team loses, which is part of the game so there should be no differences,” said Qasim.

“I thank Misbah, Whatmore and Hafeez for their cooperation.”