Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq - Reuters

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (Reuters):

WASIM AKRAM has branded former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq a dictator for his conduct in the run-up to the team's World Cup debacle in the Caribbean.

Inzamam had become very powerful and dictated terms to late coach Bob Woolmer as well as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials, the former Pakistan paceman said in an interview with ESPN yesterday.

"Inzy definitely had become a dictator," Akram said. "He had obviously become very powerful. I know for a fact that Bob Woolmer and the foreign back-up staff would approach him for leave.

"I have seen senior PCB officials sitting at his residence and awaiting orders," Akram said. "These things are not good for cricket."

Inzamam, one of the best batsmen of his generation, retired from one-day cricket and resigned as captain a day after the team suffered a shock defeat against debutants Ireland to make a first-round World Cup exit.

His announcement came hours after Woolmer was found lifeless in his Jamaica hotel room. The former England player was declared dead in hospital and Jamaican police have since said he was murdered.

Akram blamed Pakistan's cricket woes on the board.

"For the last seven years, there's been no system in the PCB," he said. "Ad-hocism doesn't work and that's the reasonwhy people like Imran Khan don't want to get associated."

Former all-rounder Imran captained Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup title which featured both Akram and Inzamam.

Akram said national captains in cricket-mad India and Pakistan need to be in charge.

"In India and Pakistan, a captain must be the boss because he is the man leading the team on the field. Of course, there must be healthy interaction between the captain and the selectors," he said. "The rest will fall in place."

Pakistan are trying to find a successor to Inzamam after his deputy Younis Khan declined the job.