Pakistan cricket chief and selectors quit

Islamabad: Pakistan cricket chief Naseem Ashraf and the selection committee have resigned in the wake of his team's shock early exit from the World Cup.

"I have talked to Ashraf on telephone and he has confirmed that he has sent his resignation to the patron of the PCB," according to PCB communications director Ahsan Malik.

Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf is the patron of the PCB.

"Ashraf faxed his resignation last night and it's now up to the patron whether he accepts it or not," Malik said on Tuesday.

Pakistan's cricket selection committee also resigned in the wake of the team's disastrous World Cup campaign, chief selector Wasim Bari said on Tuesday.

The three-member committee's tenure was to be reviewed after the World Cup, but former test captain Bari said they had
decided to quit and shoulder some of the blame for the poor performances.

"We just thought morally we were bound to do this," he told reporters.

Bari has served as a national selector since 1998, picking teams for three World Cups.

"Coach Bob Woolmer paid a heavy price for a failed campaign," selector Iqbal Qasim said. "This is what we should have done earlier."

Pakistan's cricket programme has been in crisis over the last three days since Ireland handed it a stunning three-wicket defeat in the World Cup Group D match on Saturday.

Host West Indies earlier beat Pakistan in the World Cup'sopening game. With two successive defeats, Pakistan was ousted from the Super Eight stage of the tournament.

Coach Bob Woolmer died less than 24 hours in the team's Jamaican hotel less than 24 hours after the loss to Ireland
and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his retirement from limited-overs games.

Pakistan will play its last group game against Zimbabwe at Sabina Park, Jamaica on Wednesday.