Fact-finding committee collects details of agents approved by PCB

LAHORE: The five-member fact-finding committee formed by the Pakistan Cricket Board to investigate the allegations of conflict of interest regarding the role of Inzamam-ul-Haq as chief selector, with several players in the Pakistan cricket team on the roster of the same agency, held its first meeting on Tuesday where it collected details of the players’ agents approved by the PCB.

Inzamam had resigned from his post on Monday after news of his affiliation with UK-based Yazoo International Ltd came to the fore, with the former Pakistan captain on its board of directors alongside Talha Rehmani, who also manages Saya Corporation which represents superstars like captain Babar Azam, wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Sources told Dawn that the committee will present its report to PCB interim management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf on Nov 6, the last day of his four-month tenure. It is not confirmed yet if Zaka, who had to hold elections of the PCB, will get an extension.

Upon resigning, Inzamam said he will return to his position once he is cleared in the investigation and therefore, sources said, he will not be appearing before the committee.

The committee would also not be able to question players who are represented by the Saya Corporation as they are busy with the World Cup.

Sources meanwhile added that while “records of the players’ agents approved by the PCB are available, there are no details on which agent is representing which player”.

A member of PCB’s vigilance department, whose duty is to monitor activities of players, coaches, managers and other staff of the board is also on the committee. But the vigilance department missed out on the affiliation of Inzamam to Yazoo International upon his appointment as chief selector.

The department also did not take action against PCB’s media head Umar Kalson, who was spotted in a casino in Sri Lanka during the Asia Cup, but has now been sent to India for the World Cup as replacement for the team’s media manager Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi.