Zaka Ashraf is set to become the new PCB chief after being nominated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for PCB’s board of governors.
Zaka Ashraf to Replace Najam Sethi as New PCB Chief
In a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office today, the premier nominated two names, other than Sethi’s, for PCB’s Board of Governors.
Ashraf’s first held the Chairman position in October 2011 till former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dissolved the PCB governing body in February 2014.
As per a report, “The prime minister has seen and, in his capacity as patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board and in terms of Article 1011)(d) of the PCB’s Constitution 2014, is pleased to nominate the following for appointment as Members on Board of Governors of PCB — Muhammad Zaka Ashraf and Mustafa Ramday,”
According to the same report, the two nominations would complete the 10-member BoG with the remaining eight members of the body almost decided — four representatives each from regions and departments.
The body will vote for the election of the PCB’s new chairman and put an end to the tenure of the board’s interim Management Committee, which took charge in December last year after the ouster of former chief Ramiz Raja to revoke the 2019 constitution of the board and replace it with the 2014 charter.
Until late on Monday night, Sethi was touted to be the PM’s pick, before the 75-year-old announced his withdrawal from the mix.
“I don’t want to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. Such instability and uncertainty are not good for PCB. Under the circumstances, I am not a candidate for the Chairmanship of PCB. Good luck to all stakeholders,” Najam Sethi wrote in his Tweet on June 20.
Notably, Ashraf and Sethi were involved in a long legal battle during the former’s reign as chairman in 2013. Both executives shared the post between 2013 and 2014 till Nawaz Sharif’s decision to terminate the PCB body led by Ashraf.
Sethi was initially given 120 days to run the cricketing business in Pakistan. His main task was to bring back the 2014 constitution and form the board of governors and chairman. Sethi recently faced a lot of criticism for his lack of ability to take strong decisions regarding the hosting of the 2023 Asia Cup and Pakistan’s involvement in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
