Afghanistan selector Asadullah Khan resigns due to interference from non-cricketers in the Board

Asadullah Khan has stepped down from his position as the head of the Afghanistan selection committee. The move comes after reports that the Afghanistan squad for the series against Pakistan was finalized without his nod.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Asadullah Khan's resignation letter to the board stated:

"Too much interruption and interference from 'non-cricketers' in the board, who have no knowledge about the players and selection."

Khan was appointed as the chief selector earlier this year in March. He went through a lengthy selection procedure and was ultimately chosen because of his experience in the domestic setup as a former cricketer. He was also the acting chief executive briefly in 2019.

Former player, coach and Video Analyst Mr. Asadullah Khan has been appointed as the head of the newly formed selection department. Mr. Khan was appointed based on transparency being selected as the most qualified for the position amongst a pool of candidates. pic.twitter.com/zxPCh9zLu2

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) March 24, 2021

He sent his resignation letter on 24th July, a day after the squad led by Hashmatullah Shahidi was released. Afghanistan have included five uncapped players - Sediq Atal, Shahid Kamal, Abdul Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Qais Ahmad - in the squad.

Afghanistan's #Squad for the three-match ICC ODI Super League matches against @TheRealPCB in September #AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/03elqNltGZ

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) July 23, 2021

Asadullah Khan's primary reasons for stepping down as Afghanistan selector

In his letter, Asadullah Khan talks about six key points behind his decision to step down as the head of the Afghanistan Cricket Board selection committee.

The reasons include too many interruptions in his work as Afghanistan's chief selector and not being given the selection committee members he has been asking for since his appointment.

Asadullah Khan claims he was not allowed to speak and have his say in selection matters. He also claimed that the board refused to grant him an appointment with the chairman, Yusefzai, despite him constantly asking for one for the past three months. Being left in the dark about the final squad for the Pakistan ODIs was the last straw for the Afghanistan selector.

He was supposed to be assisted by professional advisors and data analysts in selection matters, but no one was hired for the same. The Afghanistan Cricket Board had earlier revamped their selection plan when they roped in Asadullah Khan for the role.