Pakistan men’s chief selector Inzamamul Haq has tendered his resignation to Chairman of the PCB Interim Management Committee Zaka Ashraf, sources told Aaj News on Monday, almost three months after his appointment for the crucial post.

Sources said Haq arrived at the PCB office in Lahore on Monday to meet Ashraf, however, the meeting could not be held. They added that the chief selector submitted his resignation as he was “disappointed”.

The development comes at a time when the national side, announced by him on September 22, was participating in the World Cup. It was his second stint as the chief selector. He served in the same capacity in 2019 when Ehsan Mani was the PCB chairman. Haq had stepped down from his position on July 17, 2019, after Pakistan’s dismal performance in the World Cup campaign.

In recent times, national cricket has been marred by different issues that apparently came to light after the Green Shirts’ poor performances in the last four matches of the World Cup.

“Allegations were made that I had a conversation with the [Pakistan cricket] board. Today, I went to the board and asked them to hold an inquiry if they had any doubts,” Haq said in an interview with the Samaa TV programme Zor Ka Jor.

“Later I got a call that they had formed a five-member committee,” he said and added that he subsequently decided to step down from the post until the committee completed the probe and its proceedings.

Moments later, the PCB announced that it had set up a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations in respect of conflict of interest reported in the media pertaining to the team selection process.

“The committee will submit its report and any recommendations to the PCB Management in an expeditious manner,” it said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

According to media reports, Inzamam was a shareholder in a company owned by a players’ agent. This revelation had raised concerns about “potential conflicts of interest” as the agent represented some of Pakistan’s top cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Later, the PCB also confirmed the development.

“I am stepping down from the post to offer the PCB the opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry about the conflict of interest allegations raised in the media. If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector,” the board quoted Haq as saying in a social media post.

“The PCB appreciates and acknowledges Inzamam’s decision to voluntarily step down during this investigation.”

Earlier in the day, sources told Aaj News that the Pakistan Cricket Board sent the central contracts to the players currently in India for the World Cup.

Reports said that the PCB had increased the players’ salaries by 202% after it negotiated a central contacts deal with the senior players.

Pakistan coach Grant Bradburn has shrugged off claims his players haven’t been paid for five months, insisting the squad was determined to rescue their faltering World Cup campaign.

Moreover, the personal chat of Pakistan team skipper Babar Azam personal WhatsApp chat was leaked and discussed on a news channel.

On October 26, the board administration hoped that the cricketing fraternity and fans would continue to support Azam and the entire Pakistan cricket team, following the three consecutive defeats faced by the national team in the mega event.

“Looking ahead, the board will make decisions in the best interest of Pakistan cricket based on the team’s performances in the World Cup,” it said.