Inzamam-ul-Haq appointed Pakistan's chief selector

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq as the head of the new selection committee, which also includes former test off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed. "We are happy that Inzamam has accepted to be the chief selector and we will give him full authority in selecting the teams," chairman PCB Shaharyar Khan told reporters in Lahore on Monday. Former international fast bowler Wasim Haider and batsman Wajahatullah Wasti are the other members of the new selection committee. Inzamam was the Afghanistan cricket team coach for the past six months, but said he was released by Afghanistan Cricket Board to perform national duty. "I want to thank ACB that they allowed me to do national duty," Inzamam said. "I worked for them for six months, I am thankful to their players and their cricket board officials for the cooperation." Under Inzamam's coaching, Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe in both one-day and Twenty20 series and also qualified for the Super 10 stage of the World Twenty20, where it beat eventual champion West Indies in a group match. Inzamam replaced Haroon Rasheed as chief selector after the PCB dissolved the selection committee when Pakistan won only one of its three group matches at the World Twenty20 in India. "I have picked one spinner, one fast bowler and a batsman in my team (of selectors) to cover all the areas," Inzamam said. "I don't have a magic wand to improve the performance of the team, it will take some time and you have to be patient." Soon after the World Twenty20, coach Waqar Younis quit and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed replaced Shahid Afridi as Twenty20 captain. Khan said the PCB was in touch with several foreign and local coaches and hoped the new coach will be appointed this month. Inzamam said the coach and captains of all the three formats of the game — tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s — will be consulted before he finalizes Pakistan squads. "When I was the captain, I used to give my suggestion to the selectors. Similarly I will give importance to what captains and coach will have to say because they are the ones who ultimately matter," he said. Pakistan is currently ranked No. 4 in test matches, but has slipped to eighth and seventh in ODIs and Twenty20s. "Our cricket is not at its peak," Inzamam said. "If we have to improve, selectors, captains and coaches have to work on the same page otherwise we will face the same problems." Inzamam scored 8,830 runs in 120 test matches and 11,739 runs in 378 ODIs before he retired in 2007. Pakistan travels to England in July for four test matches, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20.