Don't think Pakistani coaches give favours: Inzamam

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has said that he doesn't think that the coaches of the national team give favours to players.

In a media talk at an event in Lahore, Inzamam backed Pakistan's current coaching staff. 

"It is not true that the coaches give favours to players. The coaches of the national side don't necessarily give favours. Our national coaches are talented and have given good results. There are ups and downs in the results, but Saqlain Mushtaq and Muhammad Yousuf have done a good job."

Inzamam served as the chief selector of PCB from April 2016 to July 2019.

Asked if he will be seen in a position in the board's management, the former batter said: "All cricketers are ready to serve Pakistan. If the new management gives me a chance, I will see again."

It is worth mentioning here that the PCB Management Committee led by Najam Sethi appointed former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi as an interim chief selector for the New Zealand series.

The former batter also showed his disappointment with the pitches and the selection during the ongoing series against New Zealand.

"I did not understand the pitches during the home series. Bowlers should not say that they did not play well, but pitch makers should be questioned. I didn't even understand the selection during the series. A lot of all-rounders were included in the Pakistan team," he said.

Moreover, Inzamam downplayed the concerns related to captaincy pressure on Babar Azam.

"Captaincy is a hard thing, as it comes from doing and learning. If there was any pressure on Babar Azam, it would have affected his individual performance," the cricketer-turned-pundit said.

Inzamam also talked about Mohammad Amir's potential comeback despite taking retirement.

"Mohammad Amir's fitness will be evaluated by himself. If any player has good form and fitness, he should get a chance," Inzamam said.

Amir took retirement from international cricket in 2020, citing injustice against him by the then head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis.

However, on Friday, after practicing at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore following taking permission from Sethi, the left-arm pacer hinted at making a comeback.

"If God wills, I will play for Pakistan again," he said.

It must be noted that Pakistan cricket chief Ramiz Raja was sacked just days after the national team suffered a humiliating first-ever 3-0 home series whitewash at the hands of England, according to a government notice.

But a change had been on the cards since April when Imran Khan — a former national captain — was ousted as prime minister and replaced by Shehbaz Sharif.

Raja, a member of Khan's 1992 World Cup-winning side, was appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in September last year.

A government notice seen by AFP said Sharif's cabinet had dismissed Raja, and the PCB would now be run by a 14-member committee headed by Najam Sethi, who has twice served as chairman.

The committee also includes legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who is a former captain of the men´s team.

The government notice also said the current constitution of the board has been scrapped, and one dating from 2014 revived.

The committee will have 120 days to change the constitution and elect a new chairman.

Khan came under fire for changing the PCB´s constitution in 2019 — in particular for abolishing the role of government departments and private entities in first-class cricket, leaving hundreds unemployed.

However, in his tweet, Sethi said "thousands of cricketers will be employed again".

"The famine in cricket will come to an end," he added.

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