By: Abubakar Bin Tallat
LAHORE: In the final days of its tenure, the management committee led by Najam Sethi anticipates a change in PCB chairmanship. The leading contender to replace Sethi is his longtime rival and former board chairman, Zaka Ashraf.
Sethi and Ashraf have a history of legal battles over the PCB leadership, with a notable dispute in 2013 and 2014. The issue was resolved when then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ousted Ashraf and brought Sethi into power. Currently, Sethi enjoys the backing of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), while Ashraf has the support of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Both parties are part of the coalition known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which forms the country’s government.
In recent media statements, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ehsan Mazari raised concerns about Sethi’s candidacy for the PCB chairmanship. Mazari questioned how someone who headed the PCB committee could also become a candidate for the chairmanship. He asserted that Zaka Ashraf would be the new chairman of the cricket board, regardless of the circumstances.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who serves as the patron of PCB, expressed satisfaction with the work of Najam Sethi as the head of the Management Committee (MC). His support adds further intensity to the race for the PCB chairmanship.
Currently, Sethi is leading the affairs of the PCB after the Prime Minister appointed a 14-member MC in December of the previous year to restore the 2014 constitution. Sources indicate that the Prime Minister has decided to nominate Sethi and Mustafa Ramday, an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and a member of the MC, for the PCB chairman’s election. However, Sethi remains in the lead in the competition for the PCB chairmanship.