The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to welcome a new chairman on June 27, as the governing body of the sport has announced the upcoming elections for this pivotal position. In a statement released by the PCB, it was confirmed that the election would take place at the organization’s headquarters in Lahore. Following the receipt of nominations from various departments and service organizations, the election schedule will be issued. The commission’s office has already reached out to these entities, urging them to nominate their representatives.
Acting chairman and Election Commissioner, Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana, stated, “The election of the PCB Chair will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, following due process and ensuring the completion of all legal formalities.”
Initially, the PCB had scheduled the polls for June 28 but later moved the date to June 27 due to the government’s declaration of a public holiday on Wednesday.
The announcement of the election date followed the formation of the PCB’s Board of Governors by Rana, subsequent to the dissolution of the Management Committee. The formation of the board is in accordance with Para 10 of the PCB Constitution 2014, as stated in a letter received from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) regarding the management committee.
The board consists of various members, including nominees Muhammad Zaka Ashraf and Mustafa Ramday, appointed by PCB Patron Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as representatives from the National Bank of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), and presidents of various regional associations such as Larkana, Dera Murad Jamali, Bahawalpur, and Hyderabad.
The position of PCB chairman has been a contentious matter between the ruling coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). While the PPP advocates for the return of former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, the PML-N supports the continuation of Najam Sethi, the now defunct Management Committee Chairman.
The PPP argues that since its minister heads the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division and PCB falls under the ministry’s purview, the party should have the authority to appoint the chairman.
However, with Sethi withdrawing from the race, the path has been cleared for the PPP’s nominee, Ashraf, to reclaim the position of PCB chairman.
Earlier this week, Sethi publicly announced his decision not to run for the post, as he did not wish to be a source of conflict between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif, the leaders of the coalition government. Citing the prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty and instability as unsuitable for the board, Sethi stepped aside from the race for the chairmanship.
“I don’t want to be a cause for disagreement between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif,” he tweeted on Tuesday.