(REUTERS) – Yawar Saeed has stepped down as Pakistan manager following the team’s controversial tour of England, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced.
The PCB said Saeed had asked the board chairman if he could be relieved of his duties.
“Yawar Saeed met with the chairman today who has accepted his request, the board will announce a new manager in due course,” PCB media manager Nadeem Sarwar said.
Yawar, 75, has come in for severe criticism for his handling of team affairs on the tour of England which was marred by spot-fixing allegations.
Rumours circulated last week that Saeed would no longer continue in the role, something he denied when questioned by the media.
“I don’t want to comment on my decision but I have been thinking about it for a while now,” Saeed said.
Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after newspaper allegations that they had deliberately arranged for no-balls to be delivered at last month’s fourth Test.
The ICC also launched an investigation into suspicious “scoring patterns” by Pakistan in the third one-day international, which the visitors won.
Saeed managed the Pakistan team on numerous tours since the 70s and was a member of the inquiry committee that probed into the team’s poor performances in Australia early this year that led to the banning and fining of seven players.
Former Test captain, Aamir Sohail said he was not surprised that Saeed had stepped down as there was too much pressure on the current board and team management after the England tour.
“I think the PCB is under pressure now to make a fresh start and I think we can expect more changes,” he said.
Pakistan will next play South Africa in the UAE.