Karachi: Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq said Wednesday he will be stepping down as Pakistan’s chief selector next month. He will take the step to focus on his role as head coach of the national cricket team. Misbah-ul-Huq has said that coaching is a more challenging job to him.
Misbah told a media briefing in Lahore that he has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about his decision to step down as chief selector November 30. He took up the dual role of chief selector and head coach in September last year.
“I will select the squad for the coming series against Zimbabwe but after that I just want to focus on my work as head coach,” Misbah said. He insisted that he had not quit as chief selector because of pressure from the board.
“No, it is purely my own personal decision and I took it because I think it is not easy doing two high profile jobs at one time. I want to give my best as head coach of the national team,” stated Misbah. “Whoever is appointed as chief selector, I will fully cooperate with him. I will work to take the Pakistan team into the top three of every format,” the former captain added.
Misbah also clarified that his decision had nothing to do with his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan last month. During the meeting he and senior players, Azhar Ali and Muhammad Hafeez, raised the issue of departmental teams being closed down in domestic cricket.
The PCB made it clear it was not happy with Misbah and the two other players going directly to meet the PM. It said they shouldn’t have discussed with Imran regarding a policy decision of the board.
“If that meeting was the reason for my stepping down as chief selector then I think I would have also lost my head coach position,” Misbah said.
PCB chairman Ehsan Mani and CEO Wasim Khan recently met with Misbah and Azhar. They gave the two a dressing down and cautioned them not to make the mistake of directly seeking meetings with the PM who is also the patron-in-chief of the PCB.
Misbah was appointed head coach and chief selector after the PCB released Mickey Arthur and his support staff following Pakistan’s failure to make the World Cup semi-finals.