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Qasim quits to leave Pakistan rudderless
Cricket, 11:57, February 1, 2010 ,
Pakistan cricket is spiralling into chaos as chief selector Iqbal Qasim's decision to quit left nobody in charge to appoint a captain.
Qasim has decided to stand down following Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia which has seen the Asian nation lose all three Tests and all five one-day internationals.
They now face the Aussies in a one-off Twenty20 match next Friday in Melbourne but have no captain at present, with stand-in skipper Shahid Afridi banned for two matches for ball-tampering.
Qasim explained his reasons for quitting the job - equally placing the blame for the tour results on himself and the players.
"After the clean sweep in the Test as well as the one-day series in Australia, I don't think it is my moral duty to remain the chief selector," he said.
"I am very disappointed, like millions of Pakistanis. As I am responsible for the selection of the team, I quit from my post.
"The selection committee, which I headed, did its best to select the best possible team for the Tests as well as for the one-day matches, but they did not live up to the expectations of the fans who are badly hurt."
Regular Test and ODI captain Mohammed Yousuf has flown home with a knee injury and so there is currently a void of power, with no skipper and no chief selector to appoint one.
Kamran Akmal could be the man to step into the captain's shoes as Pakistan try to salvage something from a tour that has been a humbling experience for the beleaguered players and management.