Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has hit back at accusations that his "autocratic" leadership was responsible for his team's poor performance at the World Cup in the Caribbean. On Thursday, Inzamam was described as a poor leader and unfit to play one-day cricket by a three-member probe committee that was formed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to look into the causes behind the side's mediocre display.
The 37-year-old batsman, who retired from one-day internationals and stepped down as captain of the test side after Pakistan made a first round exit from the March-April tournament, dismissed the criticism of his leadership.
"All the gentlemen on this probe committee are my elders and I respect them, but the truth is that none of them have any experience of captaincy," Inzamam told Reuters on Friday.
"Why was I not branded a dictator and autocratic when Pakistan was winning matches under my leadership? "Unfortunately in Pakistan cricket, after every defeat these sort of accusations are made." Inzamam, who has played 119 tests and 378 one-dayers was captain from November 2003 to the World Cup, is keen to continue playing in tests. "That is my decision. It is up to the selectors to decide about my form and fitness. I still feel I have a lot to give to Pakistan cricket," Inzamam said.
The committee was headed by former Test player Ejaz Butt and included the former PCB director of cricket operations Saleem Altaf and chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed.
The panel said Inzamam should have been removed from the captaincy after last August's Oval Test ball-tampering row and that he ignored the selection committee when picking some players. Inzamam said he had never pushed for a player without merit and always had to convince the selectors he was right. "We had proper debates and discussions. I never imposed myself on anyone," he added.
Inzamam also questioned why Altaf, who was working for the PCB when he was captain, had never accused him of being autocratic before. "The irony is that I was always known as a soft spoken and easy man. I was criticised for not being a more assertive captain by former players. Now they say I was a dictator," he said.
"I am sad that after serving Pakistan cricket for so long the committee has heaped all the blame on me for the poor World Cup showing." The committee added that the absence through injury of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, and all rounder Abdul Razzaq had contributed to Pakistan's poor show.
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