Abdul Qadir

Karachi: Pakistan cricket plunged into fresh crisis on Monday with chief selector Abdul Qadir resigning in mysterious circumstances.

The announcement of the resignation came out of the blue and a day after Pakistan were trounced by England in the ongoing ICC World Twenty20.

Incidentally, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt wasted no time in accepting Qadir’s resignation.

“We don’t know the reason for his decision to resign but chairman Ejaz Butt has accepted it,” Saleem Altaf, the PCB chief operating officer, said.

Qadir was not available for any comments but rumours were gathering momentum that the former Test leg-spinner was told to resign or get the boot.

“Butt called him to his office and told him either he should resign or he will be sacked,” a source in the board said.

Other sources said that the reason for Butt’s sudden decision to get rid of Qadir might have something to do with rumours of corruption in the selection of the national team and Pakistan A squad for Australia. But no board official, including Altaf, was willing to comment on the rumours.

“We only know he decided to resign that is all. We are as blank as everyone else why he decided to resign,” Altaf said.

Speculation was rife that Qadir faced a lot of scrutiny from the board over his insistence on selecting some players in the national and A sides.

Incidentally, even during the tenure of the last selection committee, headed by Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of his selection committee was accused by a Pakistan player of indulging in corruption.

Sources said that Butt had asked Salahuddin to take action against the selector but the chief selector deemed it fit to resign himself in defence of his selector.

There were also reports that Qadir has developed serious differences with captain Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam.

Qadir also had differences with former cricketer Aamer Sohail, who is director, game development in the board, and Ejaz Butt over the selection of the Pakistan A team for Australia.

(PTI)