Inzamam-ul-Haq ... blamed for World Cup fiasco. - File

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP):

A PAKISTAN Cricket Board committee blamed former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq's "autocratic" leadership and the failure of its chief selector to stand up to him for the team's shock exit from the World Cup.

"Inzi failed to lead from the front," the committee said in findings submitted to the board yesterday.

The three-member committee, comprising former Test cricketers Ijaz Butt, Salahuddin Ahmed and Salim Altaf, was formed soon after Pakistan's first-round exit from the tournament in the West Indies. The committee complained that former chief selector Wasim Bari had let Inzamam effectively pick the team.

Weak

"The chairman of the selection committee was a weak, pliant person, as a consequence the team was chosen at the behest of Inzamam," said the report, a copy of which was made available to The Associated Press.

The report also said there were "serious doubts about Inzamam's fitness to play one-day cricket over the year".

The committee said that Inzamam became an "introvert and autocratic captain, particularly after the Oval fiasco when his refusal to go to the field was overlooked by the then chairman of the PCB, Shaharyar Khan."

Ball tampering

Australian umpire Darrell Hair accused the Pakistani team of ball tampering, prompting Inzamam to refuse to lead his team back on the field on the fourth day of the Oval Test. The umpires subsequently awarded the match to England, making it the first forfeiture in the history of Test cricket.

Pakistan was hit by injuries on the eve of the World Cup when fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq were ruled out due to injuries. Shahid Afridi was serving an ICC ban for the first two games against the West Indies and Ireland, both of which were lost.

However, the committee said Inzamam made poor use even of the remaining players.

Crucial match

"He dropped Mohammad Sami from the crucial match against the West Indies and then changed Danish Kaneria when the bowler had stumped out (Denesh) Ramdin in the 44th over giving away just two runs," it said. "The omission of Danish Kaneria in the crucial game against Ireland was a tactical mistake."

Inzamam quit one-day cricket a day after Pakistan was upset by unfancied Ireland and coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in the team hotel at Jamaica.

Shoaib Malik has been made the new captain while Ahmed was made new chairman of the selectors.