Chairman National Selection Committee Iqbal Qasim on Thursday tendered his resignation, a day after choosing the national cricket team for the upcoming tour of West Indies. The acting Chairman PCB, Najam Sethi, has accepted the resignation of Iqbal Qasim, Chairman National Selection Committee, and lauded his services for the sport and nation on and off the ground.
After acceptance of resignation of Iqbal Qasim, the National Selection Committee also stands dissolved. The PCB will consider the formation of a new selection committee and chairman at an appropriate time, the sources said. On March 1, 2012, Iqbal Qasim was appointed as chief selector after former chief selector Mohammad Ilyas resigned from the post. Qasim's appointment was made by the then PCB chairman Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf.
Iqbal Qasim's one-year contract finished in April but sources said the ex-Chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf asked him to continue until choosing the limited-over team to play West Indies in the tour starting in July. After dismal performance of Pakistan cricket team at the ICC Champions Trophy in the UK, the PCB team management and selection committee were severely criticised and there were demands of resignation of selectors from critics.
Sources said Iqbal Qasim had differences with Coach Dev Whatmore and ODI skipper Misbah-ul-Haq over selection of some players. It may be noted that Iqbal Qasim's selected teams won for Pakistan the Asia Cup, a one-day series against India, and Twenty20 series against Australia and South Africa. However, the list of losses includes test series defeats against Sri Lanka and South Africa; defeats in ODI series against Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa; defeat in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 and all three group matches in the Champions Trophy last month.
The acting Chairman PCB, Najam Sethi, in a statement said, "Iqbal Qasim has done a great service to the country. He has given a fitting farewell to the team by presiding over its selection committee prior to the West Indies tour starting soon. He said his term was up (in April 2013, extended to July by suspended chairman Zaka Ashraf) and asked to be relieved after concluding his professional duties. I wish him well and shall continue to seek his advice and guidance on cricketing matters in the future", said Sethi, who sent a bouquet of flowers to Qasim.
Iqbal Qasim said, "I requested the PCB to relieve me from my duties as I want to dedicate more time to some domestic issues which otherwise were being neglected. The selection process was consuming a very large part of my daily schedule which I was finding difficult to handle considering that I am also a full time employee with a Bank." Qasim said, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the chairmen of PCB, Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf and Najam Sethi, with whom I have worked, and also Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez the Test, ODI and T20 captains of Pakistan Cricket teams for the confidence they have shown in me."
Qasim said, "It has been a great experience working with all of them and together we sincerely have tried to serve Pakistan and Pakistan cricket to the best of our abilities. I am also thankful to all the media for supporting the game of cricket in general and me in particular throughout my tenure."
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