Afghanistan chief selector Asadullah Khan steps down, alleges interference from non-cricketer's in board

Karachi: Chief selector of Afghanistan cricket, Asadullah Khan has resigned from his position alleging interference from non-cricketers in the board. Afghanistan are set to play Pakistan in their first-ever bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka next month and Khan said the 17-member squad for the tournament was announced without his approval. According to reports, Khan’s resignation has been accepted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) The ACB had recently announced that Hashmatullah Shahidi would lead the national team against Pakistan with five uncapped players in the squad: Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Noor Ahmad. Khan, a former domestic cricketer, coach and analyst, said in his resignation that he had been kept in the dark about the squad announced for the series against Pakistan. He has also cited “too much interruption” and interference from “non-cricketers” in the board, who have “no knowledge about the players and selection” as the main reasons for his decision to step down. Reports said Khan had also complained to the ACB that he was not given the people he wanted to work with as selectors since his appointment in March this year.