ISLAMABAD — Pakistan chief selector Iqbal Qasim resigned Thursday only a day after choosing the national team for the tour of West Indies. Pakistan Cricket Board acting chairman Najam Sethi said in a statement that Qasim asked to be relieved after his extended contract expired Wednesday. Qasim's one-year contract finished in April but the PCB's suspended chairman Zaka Ashraf asked the former Test left-arm spinner to continue until choosing the limited-over team to play West Indies this month. “I wish him well and shall continue to seek his advice and guidance on cricketing matters in the future,” Sethi said. It was Qasim's second stint as chief selector in three years. He was the chief in 2010 when Australia whitewashed Pakistan in Test, one-day and Twenty20 series, but stepped down soon after that before he was reappointed by Ashraf last year. “I requested the board to relieve me from my duties as I want to dedicate more time to some domestic issues which otherwise were being neglected,” Qasim said. “The selection process was consuming a very large part of my daily schedule which I was finding difficult to handle considering that I am also a full-time employee with a bank.” Over the last 15 months, Qasim's selected teams won for Pakistan the Asia Cup, a one-day series against India, and Twenty20 series against Australia and South Africa. The list of losses includes Test series defeats against Sri Lanka and South Africa; defeats in ODI series against Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa; defeat in the semifinals of the World Twenty20 and all three group matches in the Champions Trophy last month. Pakistan also drew two Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka and India. Sethi has warned the selectors they may be held accountable for Pakistan's defeats. The PCB also said in a statement it will consider a new selection committee and chairman “at an appropriate time.” After the tour of West Indies, Pakistan is scheduled to play Test and ODI series in Zimbabwe in August. Court orders re-election of cricket chairman A court in Pakistan on Thursday ordered the country's cricket board to re-elect a chairman within 90 days after Zaka Ashraf was suspended over concerns about a dubious ballot. The decision from the Islamabad high court came after petitioners challenged a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ballot, which in May elected the incumbent chief Ashraf as chairman for four years. The court last month termed Ashraf's election in the new process as “dubious” and “polluted” and the government appointed Najam Sethi as interim chairman until Ashraf's case was decided. “Sethi should continue as interim PCB chairman but must hold elections within 90 days to elect a PCB chairman,” the court ordered. Ashraf was appointed chairman by PCB patron and the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, in October 2011 under a previous PCB constitution. But the PCB was forced to introduce a new constitution earlier this year after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ordered an end to all undue government interference. Sethi said the court would be obeyed. — Agencies
