Karachi: The PCB and Inzamam-ul-Haq have triggered off a controversy in Pakistan cricket because of their differing views on why the former captain was not sent to South Africa with the national team as its batting consultant.
Inzamam, the most capped player for Pakistan, told reporters in Lahore that the board never contacted him after he returned from India about the tour to South Africa.
"The board had initially offered me to be the batting consultant for the tours to India and South Africa. I couldn`t go to India because of a prior commitment with a channel. But after I returned from India no one from the board contacted me to speak about the South Africa tour," Inzamam said.
"I don`t know the reason for this, maybe there was some problem the chairman of the board faced," Inzamam added.
The former batsman`s attachment with the team was generally welcomed in Pakistan cricket circles before the Indian tour and PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf on record stated that they would be sending Inzamam to South Africa.
But when the players and management were announced for the tour, the name of Inzamam and that of the sports psychologist, Maqbool Babri, was missing.
"I had informed the board I was interested in working as batting consultant with the players. I did my best with them in the short time available before the Indian tour," Inzamam added.
"But when they didn`t contact me what can I say," he added.
Interestingly, Ashraf, in an interview, insisted that the coaching committee of the board had contacted Inzamam.
"They did contact him, but unfortunately, an agreement couldn`t be reached on the terms and conditions of the contract," Ashraf said.
"We wanted him to help the batsman that is why we contacted him even before the Indian tour. I don`t know why there is this impression the board didn`t contact him at all," he added.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 26, 2013, 21:20